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City attempt to tilt balance of power

October 21, 2011

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Manchester City, for so long ridiculed by Manchester United fans, enter Sunday's derby in front of their fierce rivals in the Premier League table. The big-spending Blues will be looking to make a statement at Old Trafford on Sunday in what is the stand-out fixture of the season to date.

Elsewhere, Arsenal aim to continue their resurgence at home to Stoke, Chelsea travel to QPR for a derby of their own, while Liverpool will expect three points against Norwich at Anfield. Read on for our preview of all the weekend's action...

Premier League betting: Manchester United have a point to prove

Saturday

Liverpool v Norwich - LIVE ON ESPN

Form: Liverpool have won three of four since taking a 4-0 pasting at the hands of Tottenham, including a 2-0 triumph at Everton earlier this month. After a shaky start, Norwich have found their feet in the top division, sitting ahead of Arsenal in ninth position - and just three points behind Liverpool.
Key battle: Bradley Johnson has impressed at Norwich since joining from Leeds, with reports suggesting he has caught the eye of England boss Fabio Capello. Operating at the base of midfield, Johnson will be asked to quell the threat posed by Steven Gerrard, who was on target in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United last weekend.
Player to watch: Andy Carroll will sniff an opportunity to fill his boots against unheralded opposition as he tries to justify the £35 million fee hovering above his head. At his rampaging best he should be taking apart teams like Norwich - but how high are his confidence levels at present?
Talking point: Is Luis Suarez's ongoing dispute with Patrice Evra, who accuses him of using a racist term, going to prove a distraction? Liverpool's hopes of a top-four place hinge on the performances of Suarez, so they will be desperate to see him right on his game.
Bet of the day: Liverpool to win to nil, 9/10 with bet365
Prediction: 2-0

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Aston Villa v West Brom

Form: Despite their stuttering start to the season, Villa find themselves in the healthy position of eighth. No wins on the road is a concern but they are making up for it with some encouraging results at Villa Park. Twelfth-placed West Brom are on a three-match unbeaten run and they finally look as though they've discovered what it means to find the back of the net.
Key battle: After seeing his side concede four against Manchester City last time out, Richard Dunne will be a man on a mission to make sure those lapses in concentration are not repeated. Peter Odemwingie looks dangerous for West Brom so Dunne could be a busy man yet again.
Player to watch: Chris Brunt opened his league account with a thumping drive against Wolves last weekend. Everybody knows what damage he can do with that left foot, so Villa must beware.
Talking point: Why are Villa so vulnerable from set-pieces? Boss Alex McLeish has said if his players don't pick up their men it could cost them their place in the team. Is it a wise move from the manager to threaten his troops?
Bet of the day: Villa to win 2-1, 15/2 with bet365
Prediction: 2-1

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Bolton v Sunderland

Form: Bolton moved off the foot of the table with victory over Wigan last Saturday but they remain in the bottom three with the worst goal difference in the division. Fellow strugglers Sunderland are level on points with their opponents and are without a win in three.
Key battle: Nicklas Bendtner returns to the fold having been forced to sit out Sunderland's defeat at Arsenal due to the terms of his loan agreement. He'll immediately come up against Gary Cahill, who could have been playing alongside him at the Emirates.
Player to watch: David Ngog is up and running in a Bolton shirt and his pace could cause a fragile Sunderland defence lots of problems.
Talking point: Phil Bardsley says a mid-table finish would be a great achievement for the Black Cats, but is that aiming high enough?
Bet of the day: Bolton to triumph 2-0, 10/1 with bet365
Prediction: 2-0

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Newcastle v Wigan

Form: Newcastle have been the surprise package of the Premier League season to date, remaining unbeaten through their opening eight matches and sitting in fourth place. Wigan have been on the slide in recent weeks, and only goal difference is keeping them from propping up the table.
Key battle: If the Latics can silence Demba Ba, who has scored five in the league this season, then they will have cut off the Magpies' main supply of goals. Of the rest of the squad, only Leon Best has grabbed more than one in the top division.
Player to watch: Yohan Cabaye is being talked about as one of the signings of the season, even at this early juncture. The France international's passing and tactical shrewdness have impressed since he joined Newcastle from Lille in the summer. He oozes class and is a joy to watch.
Talking point: It seems that the better Newcastle perform before January, the bigger the chance of them losing their best players. Will the likes of Fabricio Coloccini and Cheik Tiote still be in black and white shirts come February?
Bet of the day: The draw, 14/5 with bet365
Prediction: 1-1

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Wolves v Swansea

Form: Wolves are on a shocking run, losing their last five in the league. Their dismal sequence has seen them slump to 16th in the table, and they now hover one point above the relegation zone. Swansea have shown signs in recent weeks they are getting to grips with life in the top flight, but inconsistency is costing them. If they want to climb the ranks they must arrest their awful away form which has seen them fail to pick up a single point in four games.
Key battle: Danny Graham scored his second goal of the season in the 3-1 defeat to Norwich and he'll be desperate to kick on. Roger Johnson and his fellow Wolves defenders are having a torrid time of things but one good performance could turn the tide. Johnson's personal duel with Graham is likely to have a huge bearing on the result at Molineux.
Player to watch: Karl Henry has already racked up three yellow cards this term but his manager will be telling him to retain his bite. If Henry can put in a few crunching tackles early on then it will set the tone for the match and likely inspire his team-mates to up their game.
Talking point: These are worrying times for Mick McCarthy. How much longer can he keep his job if Wolves' terrible run continues?
Bet of the day: Karl Henry to score first in a 1-1 draw, 180/1 with bet365
Prediction: 1-1

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Sunday

Manchester United v Manchester City

Form: Both sides are unbeaten in the Premier League, with City two points ahead of their rivals and at the summit of the table. City will arrive buoyed by their last-gasp victory over Villarreal in midweek, which breathed life into a flagging Champions League campaign.
Key battle: David De Gea needs to prove he can handle the pressure of the occasion with a calm, commanding performance between the sticks for United. The Spanish youngster has been much better of late, but this is a huge test of his credentials.
Player to watch: Wayne Rooney was left out of Manchester United's starting XI against Liverpool last week after taking news of his Euro 2012 suspension badly, and in the past he has let personal disappointments impact upon his performances. Is he in the right frame of mind to punish City, as he did in this fixture last season with a glorious scissors-kick?
Talking point: How much will United have been affected by a long trudge to Romania for Champions League action in midweek? City had the benefit of a home fixture, and you'd have to expect them to be a little fresher - that said, Sir Alex Ferguson is a master of rotation.
Bet of the day: Nani to score first, 9/1 with bet365
Prediction: 2-1

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Arsenal v Stoke

Form: After a terrible start to the season, Arsenal have begun to find their feet in recent weeks, winning five of their last six matches in all competitions, while Stoke's success against Fulham last weekend ended a three-match winless run in the Premier League.
Key battle: The decisive factor in this one will be how Arsenal cope with the aerial bombardment that Stoke will subject them to, particularly from set-pieces. The Gunners have always looked vulnerable when defending dead-ball situations, and Stoke are masters at exploiting this.
Player to watch: Per Mertesacker is extremely tall, so it stands to reason that he will relish the aerial duels - but will he be able to cope with the aggression of Stoke in the penalty area? The Germany international admits he has been surprised by the physicality and speed of the Premier League; this could be another rude awakening.
Talking point: Arsenal showed true grit to grind out a 1-0 Champions League victory over Marseille in midweek - have they discovered some resilience, or was that triumph little more than a false dawn? Stoke will put the Gunners' deficiencies firmly under the microscope.
Bet of the day: Robert Huth to score anytime, 15/2 with bet365
Prediction: 3-1

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QPR v Chelsea

Form: QPR appeared to be on a charge when they won 3-0 at Wolves in September, but since then they've lost 6-0 at Fulham and been held at home by Aston Villa and Blackburn. Chelsea, third in the table and purring, have scored 12 in their last three Premier League games.
Key battle: Shaun Wright-Phillips may feel he has an outside chance of breaking into England's Euro 2012 squad if he can string together a few good performances for the Hoops, and who better to impress against than his former team-mate Ashley Cole?
Player to watch: Adel Taarabt took the Championship by storm last season, but has failed to live up to those performances in the division above. The Morocco international, who reportedly stormed out of the ground at half-time in the Fulham game, has had 27 shots at goal, scoring just once; he needs to be more efficient.
Talking point: This is the final game of Fernando Torres' three-game league suspension and, even after a two-goal salvo against Genk during midweek, is he going to be able to get back into such a fluent-looking Chelsea side?
Bet of the day: Chelsea to win both halves, 7/4 with bet365
Prediction: 1-4

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Blackburn v Tottenham

Form: Spurs are on a roll, winning five of their last seven in all competitions, while Blackburn are in disarray and rooted to the foot of the league, with a fortuitous victory over Arsenal their only triumph of the season.
Key battle: Rafael van der Vaart didn't have his finest game at Newcastle last time out, but he remains a class act, causing havoc when he floats into the area between the opposition's defence and midfield. If Blackburn don't handle his movement, they could be in for a long old afternoon.
Player to watch: Roman Pavlyuchenko hit a stunning free-kick to sink Rubin Kazan on Thursday, sending Harry Redknapp a reminder of his talents in a week when the Spurs boss admitted the Russia international could be sold. He's likely to have to come off the bench, but he looks in the mood, so expect fireworks if he does get on.
Talking point: Blackburn fans are planning a third protest against Steve Kean for this game - how much longer can he last, with such dissent raining down from the stands? It can't be helpful for the players.
Bet of the day: Emmanuel Adebayor to score anytime in a 2-1 Spurs win, 12/1 with bet365
Prediction: 1-2

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Fulham v Everton

Form: These two are locked on seven points, in 14th (Fulham) and 15th position in the table. The Toffees have lost their last three in the league - although they were against Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, to be fair - while Fulham went down 2-0 to Stoke in their first game since thrashing QPR 6-0.
Key battle: Danny Murphy has been quietly effective at the heart of Fulham's midfield for years now, controlling the tempo of games and showing that he knows how to carve out chances. Look for Everton destroyer Marouane Fellaini to try and stop the veteran from dictating.
Player to watch: Andy Johnson has looked a man reborn under Martin Jol, finding the target nine times this term, and he will be desperate to find the net against his former club.
Talking point: Everton have looked desperately short of goals this season - Mikel Arteta is their top scorer, and he plays for Arsenal - so David Moyes has captured forward James McFadden in a bid to solve the problem. But is he really answer, given his unremarkable scoring record?
Bet of the day: 0-0 draw, 7/1 with bet365
Prediction: 0-0

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