At last, we're back!
Some very interesting fixtures this weekend, from top to bottom. The main ones for us are obvious and in the next 5 hours we'll see if we are still sitting pretty in 2nd or if we'll tumble to 4th with both the Arse and Rags above us. It won't be all bad though as if the Arse go above us then it means that the Dippers don't gain with us having a game in hand.
What an opener for the weekend. Two teams who are arguably the best playing teams at this moment in time. Their form in the last 10 games is excellent with Arsenal winning all but one, against Spurs, and Liverpool winning 8 out of 10 with their only loss to the Rags last time out. Two fast attacking teams, it looks like a corker to start us off. Hopefully they both lose!
And the Rags, they won't have it easy against Villa. Sherwood had them coming back from the pits with 2 wins against Brom and the BlackCats before going 1-0 down at home to Swansea. The away win at Sunderland was quite impressive and even though Sunderland were dire, that away win, away from the baying crowds of Villa Park, maybe a catalyst for better things. The Rags are now on for a 5 game winning streak after coming into a bit of form, coinciding with the loss of Van Pussy and inclusion of Juan Mata. They've not looked great over the season but by sheer luck they seem to have clicked at the right time, for them.
And can Leslie do something to help our title challenge? Hughes is coming off a 2 game losing streak after winning 3 on the bounce and he'll set his side up to be hard to beat, trying to pinch something on the break, like they did with us earlier in the season. They are against Chelsea though, a team that has blown hot and cold this season with Bore-inho's tactics. The odds are against Stoke taking anything here but you just never know, the pressure might start getting to them.
As for the rest, there's quite a few clubs still vying for mid-table safety and a few scrapping for PL survival. Villa & QPR have 2 games this week and you'd suggest that if Villa get at least 3 points from them 2 games they'll probably go on to safety whereas QPR will need probably at least a win and a draw to keep their PL hopes alive. For me, 2 losses would realistically see them out of the race.
Not forgetting the North East Derby, is it really a big game; does anybody actually care? Well, their supporters will, that's probably about it.
From a Blue perspective, a happy weekend would be an Arse v Dippers draw with a Rag & Chavs loss. Most unlikely but you've got to have hope, haven't ya, and I'd probably take anything from any combination where those 4 teams lose points.
Sat 4th Apr 15
Arsenal v Liverpool 12:45
Everton v Southampton 15:00
Leicester v West Ham 15:00
Man Utd v Aston Villa 15:00
Swansea v Hull 15:00
West Brom v QPR 15:00
Chelsea v Stoke 17:30
Sun 5th Apr 15
Burnley v Tottenham 13:30
Sunderland v Newcastle 16:00
Mon 6th Apr 15
Crystal Palace v Man City 20:00
Tue 7th Apr 15
Aston Villa v QPR 19:45
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