There’s just five games today and all of them three o’clock kick-offs so put up your feet and join us for a two hour feast of football in the Dugout Discussion as the likes of Chelsea pay visit to West Brom in the first of their two matches in the gameweek, while Blackpool and Wigan fight for their lives in the bottom of the table clash at Bloomfield Road.
Team news and line-ups with links to all official sites follow after the break…
Steve Bruce wants to bring Sunderland’s slump to an arrest and true to his word gives Jack Colback his first League start in a much changed team. Birmingham City meanwhile give Kevin Phillips another start and this time against his former club…
Birmingham XI: Foster; Carr, Johnson, Ridgewell, Parnaby; Larsson, Ferguson, Gardner, Bowyer; Phillips, Jerome
Sunderland XI: Mignolet; Elmohamady, Onuoha, Turner, Bardsley; Henderson, Cattermole, Colback, Sessegnon; Gyan, Welbeck.
Despite a squad succumbing to injuries abound David Moyes is looking to continue his chart up the table by naming an unchanged side from that which beat Wolves last week – Coleman and Rodwell are fit enough to return to the bench. Steve Kean grants Ruben Rochina his first start in place of the injured Junior Hoillett, while Gael Givet and Brett Emerton return…
Everton XI: Howard; Hibbert, Baines, Distin, Jagielka; Neville, Heitinga; Bilyaletdinov, Osman, Gueye; Beckford
Blackburn XI: Robinson; Salgado, P. Jones, Samba, Givet; Emerton, Dunn, J. Jones, Olsson; Rochina; Santa Cruz
Roy Hodgson will be trying to hold onto his unbeaten record at home to Chelsea and makes just the one change with James Morrison coming in for Simon Cox. Carlo Ancelotti looks like reverting to a 4-3-3 with Didier Drogba leading the line and Fernando Torres warming the pine…
West Brom XI: Carson; Reid, Meite, Olsson, Shorey; Mulumbu, Scharner; Brunt, Morrison, Thomas; Odemwingie.
Chelsea XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole; Mikel, Essien, Lampard; Kalou, Drogba, Malouda
The relegation six pointer between Holloway and Martinez sees the visiting side make one enforced change with Steven Gohouri in for the suspended Maynor Figueroa. The Seasiders recall Neal Eardley and Elliot Grandin, while Matt Gilks makes his first start since picking up an injury at West Ham in November…
Blackpool XI: Gilks; Eardley, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey; Adam, Southern, Grandin; Varney, Campbell, Taylor-Fletcher
Wigan XI: Al Habsi; Boyce, G. Caldwell, Alcaraz, Gohouri; Watson, Diame; McCarthy N’Zogbia, Cleverley; Rodallega
Avram Grant and Gerard Houllier go toe to toe for those vital points this afternoon as the Hammers boss makes wholesale changes, while Houllier gives Emile Heskey and Nigel Reo-Coker a chance to shine…
West Ham XI: Green; Jacobsen, Da Costa, Upson, Bridge; O’Neil, Noble, Hitzlsperger, Obinna; Keane, Cole
Aston Villa XI: Friedel; Walker, Dunne, Collins, L. Young; Downing, Petrov, Reo-Coker, A. Young; Heskey, Bent
Stay with us through all of the action in the Dugout Discussion today until Sir Paulos can jerk his knees like there’s no tomorrow later this evening.
