A big week of football ahead with 2 games in short succession. Could this be the week that separates the men from the boys?
We start the week with a mouth watering clash between Spurs v Arsenal, 2 teams who are in very good form and have only lost 1 game each in their last 8 matches. It's not just their form though, they've both looked really entertaining and we could see a very memorable event or, like most hyped games, it could be a damp squib which neither team want to lose. Spurs then have another hard game away to Leicester while Arsenal get an easier match at home to Leicester. Could this week be the turning point for both their Wenger Cup hopes?
And what about the Chavs, I think we've all seen the re-runs of the Villa v Chelsea game from last season and we'll all be hoping for a similar result but the way Villa are playing it's hard to see anything other than a Chelsea victory. They then go on to play Everton in midweek which should be more of a contest. Everton are not sitting pretty lying a lowly 13th in the table but recent performances have shown a bit of an upturn in fortunes. A draw with us and then West Brom led to a win against a resurgent Crystal Palace and if they carry on this form then there might just be a slight chance of an upset, if not a draw.
Just behind us we have the Rags, vying for a CL spot with a few of the old guard and the rejuvenated Saints. They start the week with a tricky tie away to West Ham and we'll soon see if BFS is still in the back pocket of his old friend Mr Ferguson (spits). West Ham are currently sat comfortably in 8th but if they have dreams of European football next season, which they should with their squad, then he must surely go to get something out of this one. As for their next game against Burnley, well, we've had first hand experience of how the bigger clubs can drop points against a determined side and maybe Burnley could give themselves a shot if Sean Dyche sets his team up as he did against ours. Also, let's not forget poor Tia Maria's woes and without him the Rags could be an entirely different force, obviously to a lesser extent.
But can the Saints still go Marching In? There recent loss at home to Swansea was a real set back and very much against the run of play. After a run of 5 wins and a draw you could really see them challenging for that CL spot. Now they've lost a little ground Koeman is trying to take the pressure off his players by saying a European place his where they're at but in his heart-of-hearts surely he must be wanting more than just a Europa League place. Two tricky games await and with Twitcher leaving the sinking ship as fast as Rosie fucking off with the Brown Envelope, it's hard to predict how QPR will play. Same with the West Ham game, you just never know if BFS will throw the Rags game in favour of having a real go at Southampton, although, this has a draw written all over it.
And finally, the Dippers. They've not lost in their last 7 and have won the last 3 on the bounce. Their high octane game is paying dividends and if they can get a win in the next game they'll go into the Spurs game with real confidence. As I said, this could be a big week for certain teams and I think this is very much true of Liverpool. On one hand, Brenda can really close the gap to 4th but on the other he could be out of the race. A four point gap is manageable at this stage but if it grows bigger then I just can't see them getting back into it.
All-in-all it looks like a great week of football and plenty to keep us all entertained. Me, I'll be keeping a close eye on the Chelsea & Rags games, as will most, but most of all I'm hoping for good performances from our boys and 6 points in the bank.
Saturday 7 Feb 15
Tottenham v Arsenal 12:45
Aston Villa v Chavs 15:00
Leicester v Crystal Palace 15:00
Man City v Hull 15:00
QPR v Southampton 15:00
Swansea v Sunderland 15:00
Everton v Liverpool 17:30
Sunday 8 Feb 15
Burnley v West Brom 12:00
Newcastle v Stoke 14:05
West Ham v Rag 16:15
Tuesday 10 Feb 15
Arsenal v Leicester 19:45
Hull v Aston Villa 19:45
Sunderland v QPR 19:45
Liverpool v Tottenham 20:00
Wednesday 11 Feb 15
Chavs v Everton 19:45
Rags v Burnley 19:45
Southampton v West Ham 19:45
Stoke v Man City 19:45
Crystal Palace v Newcastle 20:00
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