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City set sights on top spot

March 23, 2012

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The action continues apace, following a midweek programme that saw Manchester City cut into Manchester United's lead at the top of the table. City take their title push on the road to Stoke and the ESPN cameras will be in place to see if Roberto Mancini's men can climb back to the summit. Roberto Di Matteo was beaten for the first time as Chelsea manager in midweek and he heads home for a clash with faltering Tottenham, while Bolton will take to the field for the first time since Fabrice Muamba's collapse with a relegation six-pointer against Blackburn.

For talking points and predictions from every top-flight fixture, allow ESPN to preview the action below...

Saturday

Chelsea v Tottenham

Form: Roberto Di Matteo's honeymoon came to an end with defeat to Manchester City in midweek, but his side remain in decent form as they led at the Etihad and came into the game on the back of four wins on the spin. It can be argued Chelsea are in form, which is not the case with Spurs. Since manager Harry Redknapp started being heavily linked with the England job, Tottenham have nosedived. Only a late header from Rafael van der Vaart earned Spurs a home point with Stoke, but it was not enough to keep them in third.
Key battle: John Terry sat out the loss at City but he is set to return to the heart of Chelsea's back line. The Blues have struggled in defence at times this season, but they are a stronger unit with Terry in the team. If he is carrying any sort of niggle he will come under threat from Emmanuel Adebayor who, after a barren spell, has scored three goals in his last five games.
Player to watch: Luka Modric has looked a little short of his best in recent weeks, although he is not alone in that regard for Tottenham. Being harried and hustled by Stoke will not have been ideal, but he is likely to get a little more time to get things down and play in the middle of the park against Chelsea.
Talking point: Di Matteo has guided Chelsea into the semi-finals of the FA Cup and quarter-finals of the Champions League, but tasted defeat for the first time this week. If he has designs on taking the job permanently, he needs to get his side into the top four in the Premier League. Spurs are five points ahead in the race for fourth and a win is vital for him to stand any chance of making that happen.
Bet of the day: Didier Drogba looked hugely frustrated when climbing off the bench for the final 25 minutes of the loss to City. It wasn't his finest performance, but he is likely to be restored to the side on Saturday and take him to score the first goal: 5/1 with bet365
Prediction: 2-1

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Arsenal v Aston Villa

Form: Steel was not a word often associated with Arsenal, but the Gunners have shown real resolve to get themselves up to third in the table. Thomas Vermaelen's header secured three points at Everton, their fifth win on the spin in all competitions. Villa are firmly on the cold list and prior to the midweek win over Fulham they were glancing over their shoulders towards the relegation places. They are probably safe, but one win from their last seven games in all competitions is not much to sing about.
Key battle: Villa were beaten by Arsenal by the odd goal in five in the FA Cup in January, with Robin van Persie scoring twice. The Dutchman is on a barren run, he's not scored for one game, and a Villa defence marshalled by Carlos Cuellar will have to be on their toes to keep RvP under wraps.
Player to watch: Villa winger Charles N'Zogbia has come under fire in recent weeks, with manager Alex McLeish suggesting the former Wigan man was more interested in fast cars than football. The best way to answer his manager is with a starring display.
Talking point: It's been a rollercoaster season for Gunners fans. They saw star man Cesc Fabregas leave last summer, had to watch on as their team made an awful start to the season. Arsene Wenger's side have to some extent answered their critics by storming into the Champions League places, but is it really as good as it can be when celebrations start when overhauling rivals Tottenham in the table?
Bet of the day: Arsenal to keep a clean sheet: 10/11 with bet365
Prediction: 2-0

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Bolton v Blackburn

Form: Form really is immaterial with Bolton back in action for the first time since Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest last week. The midfielder appears to be on the road to recovery and matters turn to a relegation fight. Blackburn have put space between themselves and the drop zone with back-to-back wins, while Bolton were sucked back into the bottom three by QPR's late win over Liverpool.
Key battle: Ryo Miyaichi appears to have the faith of Trotters boss Owen Coyle and the Arsenal loanee does have that bit of spark about him. Roared on by a home crowd in a local derby, he could just provide some magic and Scott Dann will have to be on his toes if Rovers are to make it three on the spin.
Player to watch: As well as playing for his club's survival, Junior Hoilett has the relegation battle as the chance to impress bigger fish. He has done his cause no harm with three goals in his last two games and there are likely to be scouts in attendance to keep tabs on a player Rovers boss Steve Kean feels will be in demand this summer.
Talking point: The North West may be dominating at the top of the table, with the Manchester clubs fighting for the title, but they are also well to the fore in the relegation battle. With Wigan also in trouble, three of the bottom five are from the region. It's unlikely all three will go down, but who has the mettle to keep their heads above water?
Bet of the day: Ryo Miyaichi to net the first goal: 17/2 with bet365
Prediction: 1-1

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Liverpool v Wigan

Form: Liverpool have a trophy in the cabinet courtesy of the Carling Cup, but they've done little to signal a Premier League title challenge is looming. Liverpool have lost four of their last five league games - the most recent being when throwing away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to QPR. Wigan have been mired in trouble for the whole of the season, but have shown fighting spirit in recent weeks and travel to Anfield having lost just one of their last five games - albeit three of those being draws.
Key battle: Stewart Downing, Liverpool's £20m summer signing, has done little to justify that price-tag. But he has looked a little more lively in recent weeks and he will look to put Emmerson Boyce on the back foot.
Player to watch: Jose Enrique is one of the best left backs in the Premier League and his signing from Newcastle last summer was widely praised. But the Spaniard has looked a little off colour in recent weeks and Wigan may look to exploit any lack of confidence in his game.
Talking point: Wigan are second bottom, with only Wolves below them in the table. They would not be in any sort of danger if they could turn chances into goals. Roberto Martinez's side have been playing some good football and crafting chances but they seem incapable of finding the back of the net on a consistent basis. They've nine game left for the likes of Victor Moses and Franco Di Santo to lace up their scoring boots.
Bet of the day: The sides to be level at half time: 13/8 with bet365
Prediction: 2-1

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Norwich v Wolves

Form: Norwich have been a real surprise package this year, with their football under Paul Lambert taking them to within four points of the prized 40-point mark. Their form has dipped in recent weeks, they've lost three of their last four league games, but they have been picking up points along the way. Wolves, in contrast, are now propping up the table having lost four of their last five games. Their one point in that time came in Terry Connor's first game in charge.
Key battle: Wolves have not scored in their last three games and the travelling faithful will hope Steven Fletcher can snap a run of form that has seen him net just once in his last eight games, but he will come up against a Norwich defence which has conceded just 18 goals at home in the league this season.
Player to watch: Michael Kightly was being talked up as a future England star a few years back, but he has struggled for form of late and spent a spell on loan at Watford earlier this season. He has returned to Molineux and having scored a winner at Norwich way back in 2007, he could be in the spotlight.
Talking point: The debate about whether Mick McCarthy should have been sacked is still going on, but he has gone. Connor started with a battling point against Newcastle, but it has been downhill from there. The fans are not against Connor, rather the board and you do wonder if they are regretting not going the extra yard to get in a Steve Bruce or an Alan Curbishley.
Bet of the day: Two sides to cancel each other out in a 0-0 draw: 12/1 with bet365
Prediction: 0-0

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Sunderland v QPR

Form: Sunderland are in the dizzy heights of ninth place, which looked a long way off when Martin O'Neill replaced Steve Bruce. O'Neill needs to consolidate now but he will face no easy task as the R's might just have the bit between their teeth following the dramatic win over Liverpool. At 2-0 down they were staring at a seventh game without a win, but they turned it round and are now out of the drop zone.
Key battle: Djobril Cisse seemed to play against his old club like he had a point to prove. He needs to channel that into every game between now and the end of the season and if he is on his mettle, Michael Turner could be in for a tough afternoon.
Player to watch: James McClean signed a new deal with Sunderland on Friday, capping a meteoric rise for the youngster. He has looked a bit special since being thrust into the side and will look to justify his manager's faith.
Talking point: Joey Barton was subbed in midweek, took to Twitter to admit he was awful but would not let the boo boys beat him. Will Mark Hughes stick with his captain or turn to match-winner Jamie Mackie?
Bet of the day: Sunderland to bring QPR down to earth with a 1-0 win: 6/1 with bet365
Prediction: 1-0

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Swansea v Everton

Form: If Norwich have been a surprise package, Swansea have been the surprise package. Brendon Rodgers has got his side playing superbly and they do not look out of place among the elite. They are a mere three points adrift of Liverpool and welcome the Reds' Merseyside rivals to the Liberty Stadium on the back of three wins on the spin. Everton boss David Moyes might just have calmed down by the time he heads into Wales, having seen his side on the receiving end of a string of controversial decisions in the 1-0 loss to Arsenal.
Key battle: Swansea's fluent, attacking play is likely to see Scott Sinclair carry the game to Everton and Sylvain Distin will be charged with the task of shackling the forward threat.
Player to watch: Royston Drenthe has shown flashes of real quality since joining Everton on loan from Real Madrid. He scored against Arsenal in midweek, only to have it controversially chalked off. If he wants to secure a permanent move, he has nine games to make his mark.
Talking point: David Moyes has forever been linked with one of the big clubs, but he has been at Everton for a decade. Brendan Rodgers is now the bright star in the sky. Two managers who could well flourish on a bigger stage will pit their wits against each other.
Bet of the day: Everton to come from behind and win: 10/1 with bet365
Prediction: 1-2

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Stoke v Manchester City - live on ESPN

Form: The title race is getting towards the business end and City showed their fighting skills when coming from behind to beat Chelsea in midweek. That win moved them to within a point of Manchester United and they could finish the weekend back on top. But Stoke are not a side to roll over and have their bellies tickled. They were a matter of seconds away from beating Spurs in midweek and Tony Pulis will have them fighting hard to ensure they reach the 40-point mark as swiftly as possible.
Key battle: Vincent Kompany is likely to return from injury for City. If he is less than 100% he will know about it, as Stoke will send Peter Crouch and Jon Walters into battle with the specific instructions of making life as tough as possible for their visitors.
Player to watch: Carlos Tevez is firmly back in the fold after playing his first minutes of football since his fallout with the club last year. He set up the winner, did not show any reluctance when asked to warm up and is the sort of player that could tip the balance in City's favour in the title race.
Talking point: We read something this week which said Roberto Mancini could face the sack if failed to win the title after bringing Tevez back. This made us chuckle, as surely the opposite would have been true: namely he could face the sack if he left Tevez out in the cold and they went on to miss out on the title. It's all a little tiresome, to be honest. Tevez is back, he's an Argentina international and one of the finest players on the planet. If he's focused and committed it's surely a no-brainer that you pick him.
Bet of the day: Tevez to score the last goal: 5/1 with bet365
Prediction: 1-2

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Sunday

West Brom v Newcastle

Form: After a dip in form, Newcastle got their European push back on track with a gritty win over Norwich at the weekend. West Brom are in all probability safe from the threat of relegation, thanks to three wins on the spin in February and March, but they need to get back to winning ways after a loss and a draw in their last two games.
Key battle: Keith Andrews is playing for his West Brom future, having joined the club on a short-term deal in January, and he has made a positive impression on manager Roy Hodgson. If he gets the nod for a place in the midfield trenches, he will face one of the biggest battles as in Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye, Newcastle have one of the best partnerships in the top flight.
Player to watch: Demba Ba has had the Newcastle board rubbing their hands with glee, as he has taken his stock to a new level with his goals and all-round quality. He has been linked with a summer move and only this week he had to play down talk of a transfer to Chelsea. European football is a lure for all players and Ba could fire Newcastle on their way with his displays in the final weeks of the season.
Talking point: Hatem Ben Arfa thrills and frustrates in equal measures and it is clear Magpies boss Alan Pardew is not totally convinced by the forward. Pardew wants consistency from Ben Arfa but the best way to get that is to hand him a consistent run of games.
Bet of the day: Newcastle to win with a clean sheet: 9/2 with bet365
Prediction: 0-2

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