The Dugout Discussion – Saturday

The relegation battle takes centre stage during Saturday’s afternoon action, with Sunderland, Leicester City, Hull City and Newcastle United all duking it out in their quest to beat the drop. Following the quintet of three o’clock kick-offs, Liverpool bid their Anfield farewells to club luminary Steven Gerrard, with Crystal Palace bidding to ruin the legendary midfielder’s final home appearance.

Having succumbed to relegation last Gameweek, Burnley host a Stoke City outfit that are fresh of a 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Two goals in 10 matches underlines the Clarets’ travails in the final third, yet three clean sheets and just six goals conceded in eight offers hope of a shut-out. Charlie Adam is the form midfielder in the league by virtue of four goals in six starts, while Mame Biram Diouf has netted four goals in 11 appearances and is benefitting from increased pitch time in recent outings. Both sides are unchanged for this one, as Ryan Shawcross shakes off an injury to skipper the Potters.

Queens Park Rangers have nothing but pride left to play for as they welcome Newcastle to Loftus Road. Facing off against an R’s team that’s carded only one victory in 11, the Magpies search for their first win in ten Gameweeks. Newcastle boss John Carver has reasons to be optimistic, though – with Ayoze Perez notching two in three starts and top scorer Papiss Cisse making his return to the squad last weekend, the Tyneside team may yet wriggle free from the threat of relegation. The R’s make two changes as Nedum Onuoha returns from suspension at the back and Junior Hoilett earns a recall: Yun Suk-young and Bobby Zamora drop out. Newcastle make just one change as Daryl Janmaat returns from his ban to replace Vurnon Anita at right-back.

Tottenham invite Hull to White Hart Lane, as the visitors strive to propel themselves out of the bottom three. Spurs are in the midst of a slump, having recorded a single win in six, with two home defeats on the bounce. With just a single goal in his last six, Harry Kane has been subject to significant sales over the last few days, whilst in the Tigers camp, Dame N’Doye endeavours to snap a three-match barren spell in the wake of his brace at Palace in Gameweek 34. Spurs make one change as the banned Vlad Chiriches makes way for fit-again Danny Rose. Visitors Hull recall Nikica Jelavic to a two-man strike force as Sone Aluko drops to the bench; David Meyler comes in for Jake Livermore who has been suspended by the club.

Sunderland are pitted against fellow relegation rivals Leicester at the Stadium of Light in the first of their double Gameweek fixtures. Danny Graham netted his first goal for the Wearside club last time out and continues in the central striker berth. As for their opponents, the Foxes are flying off the back of six wins in seven outings. Riyad Mahrez is the man of the moment – following his brace last weekend – while Leonardo Ulloa is their form striker by way of two goals and one assist in two starts. Dick Advocat is forced to change a winning side with Jordi Gomez and Wes Brown ruled out – Liam Bridcutt and John O’Shea come into the starting XI. Andy King replaces Matt James in midfield for the visitors – James has been ruled out for up to nine months with cruciate knee ligament damage.

West Ham entertain Everton in a mid-table tussle for position. The Hammers are finishing off their campaign with a whimper – having notched a pitiful four goals in their last nine fixtures – but can draw encouragement from two clean sheets in three. For the Toffees, Romelu Lukaku continues to search for his first goal from open play since Gameweek 23. Sam Allardyce welcomes back Winston Reid from injury, while Alex Song and Carlton Cole also earn starts. Reece Burke and Morgan Amalfitano drop to the bench, while Kevin Nolan misses out due to a family bereavement. As for Everton, they surprisingly give a debut to young Brendan Galloway in the absence of ankle injury victim Leighton Baines.

The late kick-off sees Liverpool go head-to-head with Palace at Anfield. Although the Reds’ aspirations of Champions League football dissolved last week, outgoing skipper Steven Gerrard welcomes the Eagles on the back of two goals in as many matches and will be desperate to net in front of the Kop for the final time. With a solitary goal in their previous four league ties, Palace’s toils up top bode well for managers in possession of Liverpool’s backline assets.