Barclays Premier League Match-week 4 Preview:
Norwich Vs West-Ham United
Manager Chris Hughton insists his Norwich side are not a soft touch despite being the fairest side in the Barclays Premier League.Norwich are the only team not to have received a yellow card so far this season after three league matches. Hughton, however, puts that down to his players' discipline, rather than any reluctance to get stuck in. Norwich take on West Ham at Carrow Road and Hughton is proud of their fair play record and hopes it will benefit the club over the course of a season.Hughton said: "It's a good thing. We've certainly been competitive enough. It's something you speak to them about in the close season and we also have a referee's visit in the pre-season. "It is something which is coincidental. We compete very well and on another occasion there are some of those (tackles) which are near the edge which might go the other way."To put their record in perspective, however, the first three matches have seen Liverpool and Stoke rack up seven yellow and one red card already while West Ham have received four yellows. Hughton added: "I'm sure it won't last for too long. Is there a particular reason for it? No, we have been competitive enough especially in the last two games. "It is something that I welcome, though, and it might be something that further down the line stops us picking up a suspension and that has to be a good thing."Defender Russell Martin looks likely to return after pulling out of the Scotland squad with an ankle injury suffered against Tottenham while Hughton will check on forward Simeon Jackson who endured a long haul international schedule with Canada. England Under-21 star Harry Kane, on loan from Tottenham, could also join the squad.The 19-year-old has been compared to former Tottenham and Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham and Hughton said: "Same position, similar heights. Harry's a mobile player and a good finisher. If he ends up being anywhere near as good a player as Teddy that would be a plus for the lad."Meanwhile, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has revealed his excitement at standing back and observing his new-look squad during training sessions. Due to injuries and the international break Allardyce has seen most of his squad come together for the first time this week and he believes it is a group of players strong enough to do well in the Barclays Premier League this season.He said: "Watching it (the squad) jog around the pitch and doing the training is when you say we have a good chance of doing well this year if we can keep them all fit and keep them playing to their best. "I think we could have a relatively good season - it is far too early to tell what combinations will be what and who will perform better. "Everyone who has a place will have to fight very hard to keep their place now with the squad we have got and anyone who gets a place will have to perform very, very well to keep it if they get the chance and that competition for places is a huge factor on getting the best out of the players on a consistent basis which is what you have to do to get the results you want in this division."Allardyce saw all of his international players return from duty without any injury concerns although Winston Reid only landed back in Britain from New Zealand on Thursday. The Hammers are missing Jack Collison and loan-signing Andy Carroll through injury but the rest of Allardyce's squad is available for selection when they travel to face Norwich on Saturday.Loan signing Yossi Benayoun featured in both of Israel's World Cup qualifiers but Allardyce is still not sure whether the midfielder is ready to start for West Ham. "I couldn't possibly answer that question at this point in time," he said. "Yossi has been away with his national side and only had a light training session, so we will assess the squad on Friday and make a decision on the starting line-up from there."
Arsenal Vs Southampton
Arsenal will have goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny available again following a rib injury for the visit of Southampton.Former Saints winger Theo Walcott will be assessed after missing England's draw with Ukraine because of a virus, while midfielder Abou Diaby is rated at 50/50 after picking up a minor knee problem when playing for France.Midfielders Tomas Rosicky, Jack Wilshere and Emmanuel Frimpong all continue their rehabilitation along with defender Bacary Sagna.Southampton, meanwhile, could include new singings Gaston Ramirez and Maya Yoshida at the Emirates.Fellow new boy Emmanuel Mayuka will also be pushing for a starting role after his substitute appearance against Manchester United, while Guly do Prado may be dropped after this week admitting drink-driving.Danny Fox is in contention after overcoming a groin injury that ruled him of international duty with Scotland, while Jack Cork is close to a return from an ankle problem picked up in pre-season.Southampton are the only Premier League club who are yet to gather a point while Arsenal’s defence has yet to be beaten. In theory, then, this should be a comfortable home win.Arsenal, though, will be mindful that Southampton have come close this season to upsetting both Manchester United and Manchester City and that Gaston Ramirez, their new record signing, could make his debut this afternoon at the Emirates.
Man Utd Vs Wigan Athletic
The September international break is over and Manchester United resume their young campaign when they host Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford for a Saturday afternoon league tie. Historically, Sir Alex Ferguson had essentially been able to name his scoreline versus the Latics but last season's 0-1 away defeat at the DW Stadium was the first dent into the eight-point title-race lead that the 19-time English champions would go on to relinquish. In this same fixture last season, the day after Christmas, a Dimitar Berbatov hat-trick inspired the Red Devils to a 5-0 victory. United have been a disjointed side thus far but they've managed to earn six points from their first three league matches. The season opener was a 0-1 defeat by Everton and this was followed by 3-2 defeats of Fulham and Southampton.The injury concerns are somewhat astonishing for this early stage of the season. Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, and Wayne Rooney are unavailable while Ashley Young is also a doubt. Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa picked up knocks while on international duty this past week and while Fergie didn't indicate they'd be unavailable for Wigan, their Friday evening appearance at a sponsor's launch along with Javier Hernandez (Chicharito) has led to speculation that they might be rested. At his weekly press conference, the gaffer did express concern at the travel distances that Chicharito, Kagawa, and Antonio Valencia had to endure while on international duty.The Latics have picked up four points from their first three league matches. This has included a defeat by Chelsea, a victory over Southampton, and a draw with Stoke City. They've also defeated Nottingham Forest in a League Cup tie.Left-wing-back Jean Beausejour and defender Antolin Alcaraz both first-choice players are expected to miss out.
Stoke City Vs Manchester City
Michael Owen is among several new Stoke signings hoping to make their debuts against Manchester City.Former England striker Owen, who joined last week having previously been a free agent, says he is fit to play and will be assessed by manager Tony Pulis, while Steven Nzonzi and Maurice Edu could also feature.Fellow midfielder and transfer deadline day arrival Charlie Adam is the most likely of the newcomers to start after making his bow as a substitute in the 2-2 draw at Wigan on September 1.Winger Matthew Etherington and defender Andy Wilkinson, recently injured with a hamstring problem and concussion respectively, could be back in the team, but midfielder Jamie Ness (groin) will not be available.And Manchester City striker Sergio Agüero could return from a knee injury at the Britannia Stadium.Fellow forward Mario Balotelli is clear to play after undergoing minor eye surgery during the international break but midfielder Gareth Barry is not yet fully fit and defender Micah Richards remains sidelined.Defenders Maicon and Matija Nastastic, midfielder Javi Garcia and winger Scott Sinclair - all deadline-day signings last month - could play some part.Roberto Mancini begins a testing week with a visit to the Potteries, with games against Real Madrid and Arsenal also expected to prove a challenge to even Manchester City's vast resources.The urbane Italian lost his cool at the Britannia Stadium last season after a bad-tempered 1-1 draw, lit up by Peter Crouch's stupendous volley, and Tony Pulis has never lost a Premier League game to City on his own turf.Expect another feisty encounter.
QPR Vs Chelsea
There will undoubtedly be a few talking points thrown up this weekend by the Premier League and the melodramatic types that dwell therein, but prior to a dive being taken in anger the QPR versus Chelsea game is the one getting the attention, and not for the right reasons. While the pre-match handshake is a welcome comfort to those who may have brought their children along, for example, it has proved a difficult part of the pre-game festivities in recent years and the discussion over whether John Terry deserved that honour from his opponents was lengthy.In addition to the Chelsea skipper it is rumoured Ashley Cole is also persona non grata around Mark Hughes and his men, presumably for telling the truth in court, and in some ways that shows how tribal the whole affair has become, if that isn’t unfortunate usage. Cole is many things, but the anger toward him seems to suggest Ferdinand and co. think he may have lied on the stand to protect his captain, a serious allegation indeed. With any luck they’ll all touch fingers without sparks flying, and we can talk about a decent game of football rather than how decent the footballers are as people.
Sunderland Vs Liverpool
Liverpool FC left-back Jose Enrique’s knee injury will be assessed ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash away to Sunderland.Jose Enrique has been training this week after the recurrence of a problem which has dogged him since the start of the season.Liverpool FC midfielder Joe Allen has recovered from illness which kept him out of Wales' game against Belgium last week, while manager Brendan Rodgers is confident Luis Suarez and Sebastian Coates will be fine after international duty having travelled back from South America.Sunderland winger Adam Johnson is battling to retain his place in the starting line-up after returning injured from international duty.The 25-year-old missed England’s World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine with a thigh problem and will only be considered if he emerges unscathed from training today.Full-back Danny Rose could make his debut for the club and midfielder David Vaughan, who played 45 minutes for Wales in their 6-1 defeat in Serbia on Tuesday night after recovering from an ankle injury, may figure, while defenders Phil Bardsley (also ankle) and Wes Brown (knee) are making good progress, but are well short of match fitness.
Aston Villa Vs Swansea City
Recently appointed boss Paul Lambert takes charge of his first league game at Villa Park when he comes up against a Swans side facing an injury crisis in defence.Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert could be set to hand a debut to deadline day signing Christian Benteke, with his forward options bolstered even further by the return of Gabriel Agbonlahor from injury.Fellow new boys Joe Bennett and Ashley Westwood could also be handed their first starts for their new club, whilst Richard Dunne will miss the game with a groin strain and Marc Albrighton has only just begun training again after suffering from a broken foot in pre-season.Elsewhere, Karim El Ahmadi has picked up a groin strain and both Gary Gardner and Stiliyan Petrov are long-term absentees.Swansea manager Michael Laudrup has an altogether different proposition on his hands, with a swathe of defensive withdrawals leaving him something of a selection headache going into the game.Neil Taylor's fractured ankle has all but ruled him out for the rest of the season and Dwight Tiendalli, who has since been signed as cover, will likely start on the bench due to his lack of match fitness.Meanwhile, centre-back Chico Flores will begin the first of his three-game ban after his red card against Sunderland, Kyle Bartley will miss out after suffering a ruptured quad muscle during mid-week and Garry Monk has a back injury. The exciting Pablo Hernandez looks set to start the game on the bench, owing to Dyer and Routledge's superb form of late and Ki-Sung Yeung will likely join him there.
Fulham Fc Vs West-Bromwich Albion
Fulham could recall Bryan Ruiz, who has missed the 3-0 defeat at West Ham with a hamstring problem.And Dimitar Berbatov could make his first start for Fulham.Right-back Steven Reid is West Bromwich Albion's major injury concern at Craven Cottage.Reid suffered a hamstring injury during the second half of the 2-0 home success over Everton before the international break.However, on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has recovered from the ankle injury which kept him out of that match.But winger Jerome Thomas, who has missed the first four league and cup games of the season, faces a further lay-off after undergoing minor knee surgery.West Bromwich Albion are looking down on the two Manchester clubs after their unbeaten start, having been galvanised under Steve Clarke's guidance.Although they have struggled at Craven Cottage over the years, their confidence will be soaring after wins over the Merseyside clubs.Stuttering Fulham are adjusting to life after Clint Dempsey and Mousa Dembele, but can take heart from the prospect of Dimitar Berbatov's first start and the arrival of experienced schemer Giorgos Karagounis.
Note : The Matches Above Written Will Be Played On 15Th Sepember 2012
Everton Fc Vs Newcastle United
Everton received bad news on Friday when it was confirmed that midfielder Darron Gibson will be out for four to five weeks with a thigh strain sustained on international duty with the Republic of Ireland.Costa Rica midfielder Bryan Oviedo, a deadline-day signing from FC Copenhagen, is not yet eligible as he has been finalising his work permit and required paperwork.Another international victim is Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul, who is out the trip to Everton on Monday night after suffering an elbow injury on international duty.The Holland keeper could miss three games with the problem, which he sustained in training, and he may be joined on the sidelines by central defender Fabricio Coloccini, who returned from the Argentina camp with a hamstring strain which makes him a major doubt.Midfielder Cheick Tiote a doubt with the calf injury which has sidelined him since the opening day of the season, as are Danny Simpson, Ryan Taylor, Haris Vuckic and striker Shola Ameobi, but defenders James Perch and Shane Ferguson and midfielder Sammy Ameobi are available once again.David Moyes and Alan Pardew are not exactly the best of friends, a rivalry extending to the early years of their managerial careers in the lower divisions.So expect a bit of niggle in this fixture, particularly as Everton see themselves as a natural successor to Newcastle in the ‘outsiders bidding for the top four’ stakes.The blip at West Brom aside, Everton have looked impressive so far while Pardew’s side have shown signs last season won’t be a one off.
Note: The Above Match Will Be Played On 18Th Of September 2012
Reading Vs Tottenham Hotspurs
Reading manager Brian McDermott will welcome Jimmy Kebe back into his squad for the visit of Spurs.The Mali winger has been missing all season due to a hamstring injury but is now available for selection after returning to training.Jason Roberts is the only player unavailable to McDermott with all of his international players returning unscathed from their respective matches.There had been a small doubt over the fitness of Adam Federici but the goalkeeper is likely to retain his starting place at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday.Meanwhile, Spurs goalkeeper Brad Friedel will keep his place despite the recent signing of France No 1 Hugo Lloris.Manager Andre Villas-Boas said Lloris may not even be on the bench as he has only trained with his new team-mates once since signing from Lyon for £8 million on deadline day.Goalkeeper Brad Friedel will keep his place in the Tottenham team at Reading despite the recent signing of France captain Hugo Lloris.Manager Andre Villas-Boas said Lloris may not even be on the bench on Sunday as he has only trained with his new team-mates once since signing from Lyon for £8 million on deadline day.Clint Dempsey, who also signed on deadline day, could make his debut at the Madejski Stadium, but Younes Kaboul, Scott Parker and Heurelho Gomes are out.Andre Villas-Boas will have spent most of the last fortnight at Spurs' plush new training ground working out exactly how he can bring the best out of his new squad, following a dismal draw against Norwich.The pressure on his shoulders will only increase the longer he has to wait for his first victory and Brian McDermott will be acutely aware that winning home games will be the key to Reading's survival.McDermott has not experienced defeat at the Madejski since January.
Note: The Match Above Written Will Be Played On 16Th September 2012
