The usual casual stroll around the weekend fixture list brings you my views on where the goals will and won’t arrive, and the fixtures that will be causing the maximum hair extraction come Sunday evening…
Best for Clean Sheets…
Liverpool at home to the Baggies stands out like Peter Crouch at a Jawa convention: Mowbray’s side have mustered just two goals on their travels, while Rafa’s unit have the second best home record in the league and have conceded just four at Anfield. Loading up on at least one Liverpool defender looks a must going into the weekend then.
Chelsea have the best clean sheet count and, despite the miserable defensive showing in Rome on Tuesday, you have to fancy them against a Blackburn side without Santa Cruz and McCarthy at Ewood. Chelsea have conceded just one goal on their travels this term and I can’t see Ince’s side making too much of an impression on that record.
Portsmouth have been miserable travellers of late – they’ve scored three goals away from home but they all came at Goodison, early in the season. After that win, they embarked on a miserable run of away form. A home clean sheet for Sunderland is your dark horse then, if you’re looking for budget-to-mid price defensive options. Not good news for Defoe owners.
Newcastle are another side who have suffered away from home – they travel to Fulham who have conceded just three goals in five at the Cottage. Another decent shout for budget defensive options – although Newcastle have the form, and the scorer in Martins, to upset the stats.
Wigan could find some clean sheet joy at last having conceded in their last six. Stoke have struggle to find returns away from home – notching just three goals in five games.
Finally, Hull look another strong budget option with Bolton in town. Megson’s side have lost four from five away from home but then Brown’s outfit have conceded eleven goals at their own ground. Turner, Zayatte and Myhill are all worth a look however, particularly with strong fixtures to come.
Best for Goals…
Man City’s clash with Spurs looks likely to deliver some decent attacking returns. City will be smarting after two successive 2-0 defeats and they will surely go for the throat back at Eastlands, with a fragile Spurs defence in town. Tottenham themselves are going through a resurgence under Harry and will surely put up a fight and pose enough problems to the City defence to trouble the scoreboard at least once. A high scoring draw looks on the cards here.
Similarly, Boro might get the Villa backlash after their miserable performance at Newcastle on Monday. O’Neill will want a reaction and with Arsenal and United to come next, the home side need a result. Ashley Young has disappointed in recent weeks but with a new contract, quite literally in the bank, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him terrorise Boro’s full backs and bring in some decent returns at last. Boro themselves, have scored in four of their five away games, so they may well draw the sting from Villa with a goal or two.
Best for frustration…
There are plenty of tight, potentially low-scoring fixtures on the programme. Moyes will likely look to build on recent defensive stability by keeping things tight at West Ham. Fulham always keep things tight at the Cottage and Bolton won’t be conceding any ground to Hull. All of those games could easily bring in just a handful of goals.
I’m not expecting Liverpool to dish out a thrashing to West Brom either. This could well be another one of those cagey midfield battles, with Mowbray likely to turn up with a 4-5-1 and Liverpool likely to need to turn to Torres to open them up. Despite the strong home record, Liverpool have yet to cut loose at Anfield and I can see them winning this one comfortably but without a flourish.
Chelsea at Blackburn, could potentially see Scolari’s men pull off a Boro-like performance and scoreline but, after Champions League this week, I can see them doing enough to win the game and little more. Again, I’m not expecting a thrashing by any means.
The game most difficult to call however, is easily Arsenal’s clash with United. Wenger’s men are supping in the last chance saloon and must surely hunt the victory with every sinew. United on the other hand, will happily come away from the Emirates with a draw knowing that they have put all their away fixtures against the top sides to bed. For me, this plenty of excitement and a 1-1 stamped on it – a result which will be little use for Arsenal or us fantasy managers.