This is an unusual week in that all the teams in the Premier League are involved in midweek games. So for those teams within 6 points of the relegation zone (that is 12 teams), the next seven days presents a great opportunity to pick up some much needed points. At team that can win both games, could see itself move up five or six places in the table.
The games in midweek are:
Sunderland v Fulham
West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United
Portsmouth v Aston Villa
Tottenham Hotspur v Stoke City
Blackburn v Bolton
Chelsea v Middlesbrough
Everton v Arsenal
Man City v Newcastle
West Ham v Hull City
Wigan Athletic v Liverpool
This weekends games are:
Arsenal v West Ham
Aston Villa v Wigan Athletic
Bolton v Tottenham
Fulham v Portsmouth
Hull City v West Brom
Middlesbrough v Blackburn
Stoke City v Man City
Liverpool v Chelsea
Newcastle v Sunderland
Man United v Everton
Title contenders
The top five will drop points this week, partly because Liverpool play Chelsea on Sunday at Anfield. Arsenal face two tough games as Goodison Park is always a hard place to go, especially in midweek with an understaffed team and then they return for a London derby against West Ham. If Arsenal have picked up six points from these two games, Arsene Wenger will be ecstatic.
Manchester United have a tricky away game at a West Brom team that is improving at home then come home to play Everton. Two difficult games but you would expect that Man United will pick up six points here.
Aston Villa also have two winnable games away to Portsmouth and home to Wigan. Two wins will keep Villa in the top four an depending on other results, could see themselves move above Chelsea.
Liverpool play at Wigan in midweek and then return home to play Chelsea. Six points from these two games will keep the pressure on Manchester United and push Chelsea five points back. A loss at home to Chelsea, puts Chelsea right back in the title race and pushes Liverpool down to third. Liverpool has so much off the field turmoil at the moment that I expect Chelsea to get at least a point at Anfield in Sunday.
Bottom of the table
There are some massive games in the next week that impact the relegation battle. Bottom of the league WBA have two really tough games and I cannot see them getting any points here.
There are some of the teams in the bottom six that have a great opportunity to pick up six points thus weekend and move up to mid-table, Those teams are Sunderland, home to Fulham and away to Newcastle; Blackburn, home to Bolton and away to Middlesbrough; Bolton, away to Blackburn and home to Spurs; and Spurs, home to Stoke and away to Bolton.
