Scanning the Saturday morning papers can quickly become a ritual. Going in search of that nugget of fact or speculation to sway my last minute fantasy deadline thinking, snatching a gulp of coffee in between page turns.

Let me pick out the best of this morning’s predicted team news, whilst throwing another collection of statistical facts your way to have you mulling over breakfast…

The Guardian
The Guardian go with a predictable United lineup at Everton with Berbatov partnering Rooney up front and Park and Valencia occupying the flanks, They also predict that Neville will take the holding midfield role for the home side with Heitinga at right-back. Klasnic will apparently earn a recall to the Bolton attack at Blackburn, with Taylor keeping his place in midfield despite the threat of Wilshere and Weiss in Coyle’s squad.

The Guardian’s Man City lineup has a 4-5-1 formation for the home side with Johnson and Wright-Phillips flanking Adebayor and Ireland pushed furthest forward from midfield. Kuyt leads the Liverpool attack, with Auerlio and Rodriquez either side of him with no place for Ngog. Owusu-Abeyie will earn a start for Pompey on the right flank, with Utaka benched in Avram Grant’s lineup. There’s no place for Luke Young in their Villa team, with Cuellar restored to right-back. Arsene Wenger will apparently go with Walcott and Nasri as the flanking players for Bendtner up front for the Gunners.

The Sun
The red-top has an identical United lineup at Goodison with Berbatov once more up front with Rooney. They also go with Neville in midfield with Dutchman Heitinga at right-back for Everton. Interestingly the Sun predict a start for Man City loanee Weiss in Bolton’s side but keep Taylor in a midfield role with no place for Wilshere. They see Blackburn starting with Olsson on the left of midfield, with Chimbonda and Emerton at full-back. I can’t see that happening personally.

There’s no place for Bellamy in the City lineup, with Wright-Phillips the man pushed up from a five man midfield to support Adebayor. Liverpool start with Ngog up front. Avram Grant will apparently go with Dindane and Piquionne against Stoke at Fratton Park with no place for Utaka. Arsenal start with Rosicky and Nasri either side of Bendtner in attack, whilst Sunderland start with John Mensah in a midfield role.

The Times
The Times are the third paper to predict the same United lineup, with Berbatov up front and Park and Valencia in the wide roles. Everton have Rodwell in the holding role with no place for Heitinga. This broadsheet has Bolton keeping an unchanged lineup – so no place for either Weiss or Wilshere and another start for Matt Taylor. Then again, they also have Olsson in their Blackburn lineup twice, playing at both left-back and left midfield for Blackburn. He’s a good player but that might be beyond him. Should get bonus points though.

It’s 4-5-1 again from City against Liverpool, so no start for Bellamy with Ireland, Johnson and Wright-Phillips all in support of Adebayor up front. Rafa goes with Kuyt as his central striker with Riera and Rodriguez in the wide roles. It’s Utaka and Dindane up front for Portsmouth at home to Stoke. All three papers predict a recall for Villa’s Carlos Cuellar, with Collins starting and Luke Young making way. The Times also go with Rosicky and Nasri for the wide roles with Bendtner leading the Arsenal attack.

Match Facts
Who doesn’t love some last minute facts to fuzz up their fantasy thinking on a Saturday morning? Here’s the best that the Guardian and the BBC have to offer. Chew on these…

• Fulham have kept five clean sheets in their last six matches at Craven Cottage.
• There have been seven penalties awarded in the last seven meetings between Blackuburn and Bolton. Perhaps not a time to get rid of Matt Taylor then.
• Stoke have found the net only once in their last six Premier League away matches and just five of their 24 league goals have come away from the Britannia Stadium.
• Burnley go into their game at Villa Park with the worst away record in the history of the Premier League. They have one point from 13 matches, with a goal difference of minus 30.
• Villa have kept eight clean sheets in their last 11 league matches.
• Jermain Defoe has scored nine goals in his last six starts against Wigan.
• Arsenal have averaged 3.2 goals per league game with Robin van Persie in their side this season but only 1.6 without him.
• Then again, Sunderland have conceded 16 goals in their last five away trips in the league.
• Hull City have failed to score in seven of their last nine away games in the league.
• Wolves have scored fewer home goals (10) than any other side in the league, and netted only once in their last four at home.