Bang on time for once, here’s the mid-weekly wander through the weekend’s fixture list. Read on for my dubious views on where the goals, clean sheets and hand-wringing frustration will arrive in gameweek five…

Best For Clean Sheets….

While I can’t see too many goals this coming weekend, it looks as though we’ll have to work for our clean sheets. United, Chelsea and Arsenal all have tricky fixtures which certainly offer far from guaranteed cleanies for their back fours.

Ferguson’s side travel to White Hart Lane against an on-fire Spurs attack and while Chelsea seem more likely to return from the Britannia with a shut-out, Stoke are a very strong outfit at home and will test Ancelotti’s rearguard to the full. Arsenal meanwhile, travel to Eastlands to take on a confident City side with a 100% record. Personally I can see the Gunners bringing Mark Hughes’ side back down to earth but City have plenty of attacking threat. Certainly enough to make us wary about a clean sheet for either side in that game.

Liverpool are perhaps the most obvious defensive candidates amongst the so called “top sides” this gameweek. Even they face a dangerous opponent in Burnley who, on their showing at Stamford Bridge last time out, are more than capable of troubling Reina and his defence. Glen Johnson still looks a must this week. Let’s face it, he continues to look essential every week.

Less fashionable sources are required for our defensive points this week then, with Blackburn and Sunderland looking the most likely. Sam Allardyce called for a clean sheet against West Ham a fortnight ago and he got one. There’s every reason to suspect that he’ll adopt a similarly cautious mentality at home to Wolves, a strategy that could well return another home shut-out.

Sunderland meanwhile, have just one clean sheet to their name so far this term but look fairly strong at home to a Hull, particularly given that Michael Turner is set to be in the Black Cat’s lineup against his former club. Hull have scored in every game so far this season but I’m tipping Sunderland to sneak a narrow win here with a cleanie thrown in.

If you want long shots, then you could do worse than back a 0-0 draw between Portsmouth and Bolton. I don’t see too many goals at Fratton Park given that Paul Hart’s side have just a single strike to their name thus far this season, while Bolton only got off the mark at home to Liverpool last weekend. The Wigan vs West Ham and Birmingham vs Villa games could also be tight affairs if we don’t see an early breakthrough. I also see Everton escaping from Craven Cottage with a narrow win – maybe even with more points for Baines and his fellow defenders.

Best For Goals….

This looks mightily difficult this gameweek. I can see Chelsea and United doing just enough to win out at Stoke and Spurs respectively. For me, that means a win by a one or two goal margin. The City vs Arsenal encounter promises goals, but then City are yet to cut loose against mediocre opponents, so it’s difficult to see them hitting the goal trail against the Gunners. I’m predicting another tight game there.

Liverpool really should be a strong option at home to Burnley and, given that they put four past Stoke and three past Bolton last weekend, you would have to back them for two or three in this one. Form isn’t with them but Gerrard and particularly Torres, are pretty irresistible at Anfield and should be in profit again here. Burnley’s defence aren’t good travellers either, if last season’s Championship form is anything to go by.

Elsewhere, I can see Sunderland getting a couple against the Hull back four, bereft of their talismanic defensive leader. Jones and Bent look very strong options this week then, while Richardson is also overdue some returns. Beyond this, you’d have to back some hunches. Mine tell me that Everton will grab a couple of goals in a win at Craven Cottage, while I also fancy Wigan to come good at home to West Ham and for Birmingham to share a few goals with Villa.

Best For Frustration…

They’ll be a lot of fantasy managers banking on big returns from the Spurs vs United game on Saturday evening but I just don’t see it. The absence of Modric for Spurs looks likely to be a major blow, despite Redknapp working quick to bring in Kranjcar. A reshuffle of the Spurs lineup, with Crouch coming in up front and Keane switching wide, could be on the cards. With defensive injuries also a concern, I just see too much disruption in the Spurs lineup. I see this being a major factor in them coming unstuck against United. I don’t see too many goals then, I may even gamble on a United cleanie and a narrow away win.

I also worry about the City vs Arsenal encounter. Again, on paper, this looks like a goal fest but Hughes’ side managed just a single goal in their previous home game against Wolves, while Arsenal will need to have Fabregas fit and well before they can be fully functioning as an attacking threat. He may well take the field on Saturday but even so with tired legs after international games, I’m predicting a tense affair with few goals and meagre fantasy returns on show.