Jacobs O. Seaman Saturday QPR 1-2 Stoke 1:45pm Queens Park Rangers are a side that do not know how to play the big guns. Last week, Harry Rednapp watched glumly as his side was turned into some pit material under the runs of Angel Di Maria. They have the worst goal difference in the league. Stoke City, on the other hand, are that side that can beat Manchester City one weekend and go down tumbling to a Leicester side at home the following game. Still, they have enough gas to burn down QPR. Saturday Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal 4pm Villa tactician Paul Lambert is a man you cannot write down easily. His calm demeanour at the dugout leaves his opponents seeing wins, until the games get rolling. Lambert has a way with starting the season on form, no wonder his side are second on the table. Last season, opened the marathon league with victory at The Emirates and went on to sustain a good run until fatigue wore down his side. This is another chance for Villa, especially given that Arsenal are on a poor run of just a win after four games. That 2-1 injury time win over Crystal Palace is all Wenger has. He will need to get going today to ease some pressure. Arsenal went down 2-0 at Dortmund midweek, a game in which the Germans made a mockery of the Gunners and Ozil was left with doubts on his fitness and form. Arsenal need a win to get their confidence back. If they can’t do it at Villa, they will be under pressure. Saturday Burnley 0-3 Sunderland 4pm These two sides are yet to win a game. Sunderland have a way of fighting against the big sides, but fall to the lesser weight opponents. This will make the Burnley fixture harder for Gus Poyet’s side. However, the last thing they want is to be mired in relegation dog fight again this season. Better to pull out earlier and this fixture gives Sunderland that opportunity. Saturday Newcastle 1-3 Hull City 4pm The banners are out again. Pardew Out! Everywhere at St James Park, the fans are holding it. They are angry, just like they were toward the end of last season when the Toons went 13 games without a win. Pardew kept his job just because he had accumulated more points for Newcastle than in the season past. That improvement gave the board some belief that they could keep him on the job. But that will all end if he fails to outsmart Steve Bruce in the Hull dugout. Hull have some good signings and will be looking forward to maximum points in this fixture. Pardew could just have this one chance, but it will be hard. Saturday Swansea 0-0 Southampton 4pm Swansea saw their good start brought to a halt by that man Diego Costa. A hat trick from the Spanish striker left the Swans feeling dizzy. But at least they still maintain their place in the top four. However, after the Chelsea beating, the least Garry Monk would have asked for is to face another side that is just below them. The Saints, naysayers said, would fight for survival but Ronald Koeman has not been dragged down that path. He has seen his new ensemble collect seven points from four games, with only defeat coming on the opening day at Anfield. The two sides will be content with a draw. Saturday West Ham 0-2 Liverpool 6:30pm West Ham United are just as unpredictable as a Liverpool side without Luis Suarez. Just when you thought the Kop would get rolling, they lose at home to Villa and then struggle to break down a Ludogorets side in the Champions League. But now they must either get up or face the pain of playing under pressure. Daniel Sturridge has been training again and could start in attack alongside Mario Balotelli, who finally found his shooting boot in midweek. But Brendan Rodgers has admitted The Kop are not in their form of last season. It is what Sam Allardyce wants to hear and take his chances against Liverpool. Sunday Tottenham 3-0 West Brom 2:30pm Spurs have been going well and just as well they are not being taken serious this season. From the shadows, they are able to bite a few pieces of meat off their opponents and crawling up the table standings. West Brom are one such opponents for a side that has been written off finishing in the top four. Although Spurs had a midweek Europa schedule, it should not be too hard for them to see off West Brom. Sunday Leicester 2-1 Man Utd 2:30pm Manchester United crushed Queens Park Rangers 4-0 last weekend, and their supporters will hope their team confirm their return to form at promoted Leicester City today. Manager Louis van Gaal must decide whether to hand a first start to new signing Radamel Falcao, who came off the bench in the latter stages of the win over QPR, or stick with Robin van Persie and Rooney upfront. Just as well, he must decide on whether to keep on with the 4-4-2 that give him that confidence win or revert to the 3-5-2 that saw him fail to win a game in three attempts. From one promoted side to another, the ‘Gaalacticos’ of English football can tear Leicester apart, but only if Van Gaal is up to the game. Short of which a draw is likely. Leicester are not a side for the ride, though. Sunday Everton 5-1 Palace 5pm Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku got his account on the road against West Brom last weekend and will fancy his chances some more against a Palace side that is looking at odds with reality. There was a time this fixture would have looked a tough battle. At the end of last season, it was this Palace side that frustrated Everton, costing the Toffees their fourth place run-in against Arsenal. But Tony Pulis is no longer in charge of Palace. Everton will want to stump their authority and avenge the frustration of last season. This is the chance for Everton defenders to finally show they can defend after conceding 10 in just four games. Sunday Can City stop the Costa-Fabregas mojo? Man City 2-1 Chelsea 5pm When Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-0 toward the end of last season, Jose Mourinho ran to the touchline and did what left the stadium bewildered. He celebrated like he had just scored a goal. He would later explain that he is the only manager who managed to beat all the top four sides. Chelsea had not lost to City, Liverpool and Arsenal. Now, can he sustain that gusto and ego this season? Chelsea’s season just begun. They have been on such a fine run with the energy and superb finishing of lead scorer Diego Costa helping them to maximum points in four games. Cesc Fabregas, cast away by Barcelona, became the first player to assist in four consecutive fixtures in the English Premier League and will want to ice if further at champions City. The blue part of Manchester, though, have been getting indifferent results but certainly not against a side like Chelsea. For this fixture, Manuel Pellegrini must be prepared enough. And, he has some bone to grind with Mourinho from last season. Seaman is a Liverpool fan
