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1.Lets hope Red Sunday lives up to the hype
There’s so much to talk about in this game that it’s difficult to just pick one thing out to look for. This is a huge game every year regardless of where the teams are placed in the league but this season in particular, both teams will be desperate to win. United go in to the game hunting their tenth consecutive victory while Liverpool are without a win in three and will be keen to arrest that slide. Despite the difference in form Liverpool are still second in the table and would remain ahead of the Red Devils even if they were to lose but the gap would be cut to two points and momentum is always a factor in the league. Klopp will be buoyed by Philippe Coutinho’s return to action and the Brazilian was a joy to watch in the early stages of the season but they will also be lining up someway short of their best XI. Mané is away at the African Nations Cup while their captain Henderson is out injured. United in contrast should be able to field a pretty strong side. Zlatan should return and Blind will most likely fit in to left back while Smalling comes in to replace the injured Marcos Rojo.
Red Monday was a game we all desperately wanted to forget but this should be an entirely different affair. Both teams like to press both are good on the break, there will be no love lost in the tackles and a win both either side, especially at the expense of the other would do wonders for either side’s spirits. These big games often fail to live up to the hype but this one should deliver.
Will Big Sam Be Dancing This Weekend?
Sam Allardyce returns to West Ham this weekend with his Crystal Palace side hovering just above the relegation zone and a sense that, despite the quality in his squad, keeping them up will be a big task. This though should be a comfortable three points for the Eagles and oh, won’t Sam love that! West Ham are in disarray. The move to the Olympic Stadium has been nothing short of a disaster and the Hammers’ fans won’t even get the joy of singing about their star man Dimitri Payet. the French striker has made it clear he wants to leave and manager Slavan Bilic is furious with the midfielder but a combination of terrible summer signings and the dark mood around the club, following their move from Upton Park have left the mercurial player feeling as though he has no other options. Sam will know exactly what buttons to press in this game and should reel West Ham in to the danger zone with a win at the weekend.
3.Champions meet Champions Elect
Sure things have been going remarkably well for the Foxes in Europe but domestically, their defence of the league title has been a bit of an embarrassment. The don’t win at home and they don’t win away, they seem to be doing just about enough to stay up at the moment which must be incredibly frustrating for their fans when they know what they can do. They managed to raise their performance levels when they played City off the park so they can do it but will they do it when Chelsea come to town on Saturday? Almost certainly not. Islam Slimani and Riyad Mahrez are both away on international duty and as if that wasn’t enough they will be coming up against a formidable Chelsea side, keen to put things right after their winning run was ended last time out. Kante should rightly receive a hero’s welcome when he lines up against them but it will be hard to stomach as the Frenchman has been pivotal in Chelsea run at the top of the league. This could get ugly.
4.Ref Watch
Following on from a series of high profile referee mistakes, errors and comedy moments over the last few weeks, it’s fair to say that most people will be hoping that we’re talking about the quality of the football rather than the officiating come Sunday evening. Without going down that tired and contradictory line of saying we just want common sense and consistency what we really want is to not notice the refs at all. Unfortunately for the men in black, there are a few games in this round that should keep them busy. Expect a new Mike Dean gif to be doing the rounds soon.
5. Spurs Might Struggle
This is exactly the kind of prediction that can quickly come back to bite you on the arse but bare with us. West Brom have actually got a really good record against Spurs having lost just one of their last nine meetings in the premier league. They’ve only won once too mind but still. Spurs are on a decent run at the moment but this is exactly the kind of game where they often drop points and the pressure is starting to build. They must win to keep any title ambitions they have alive but they are also starting to have to look over their shoulder as Arsenal and the Manchester clubs have them well within their sights. The Baggies meanwhile are doing pretty well themselves despite going out of the FA Cup recently. With 18 points taken from their last ten games they may be aiming to beat their best ever Premier League finishing position of 10th which would be a great achievement for Tony Pulis considering he was under fire from large sections of the Baggies support earlier in the season.
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