League leading Manchester City will travel to face in-form Liverpool in a high profile Premier League clash on Sunday.
City currently hold a four point lead at the top of the table after winning their last seven league games on the bounce. Liverpool have climbed up to seventh after a seven game unbeaten run.
Both teams will have to work hard for what they get in this game, as it will be a meeting of the two best defensive sides in the Premier League. Both these teams have conceded only 11 goals so far this season, and both teams have kept four clean sheets this term.
Swansea City can climb into the top half of the Premier League table with a win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Swansea are currently four points above the relegation zone after losing 1-0 last weekend to Manchester United, while Villa are two points further ahead and lost 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur last time out.
Stoke City will play host to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday with both teams looking to end poor runs of form.
Stoke are currently three points clear of the relegation zone having lost their last four Premier League games. Blackburn are currently entrenched in the bottom three and are enduring a seven game winless run.
Defender Jonathan Woodgate is expected to return to fitness for Stoke, while Matthew Etherington, Rory Delap and Peter Crouch are injury doubts.
Chris Samba, Martin Olsson and Ryan Nelsen are ruled out with injury for Rovers, while David Dunn is suspended.
Under pressure Rovers boss Steve Kean is set to endure another difficult day, with traveling Blackburn fans planning yet another protest against his management of the team.
Third placed Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to continue their good form when they travel to face mid-table West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Tottenham are nine points behind league leading Manchester City after a nine game unbeaten run, while West Brom are five points above the drop zone after beating Bolton Wanderers 2-1 last time out.
Paul Scharner is expected to play for West Brom, while strike pair Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie are injury doubts for the Baggies.
Baggies boss Roy Hodgson claimed last week that Odemwingie’s injury was “difficult to work out,” prompting the striker to respond by posting a photograph of his inflamed knee on Twitter.
Strike pair Jermain Defoe and Rafael van der Vaart are injury doubts for Tottenham, meaning Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko could make his first Premier League start of the season.
Michael Dawson and Tom Huddlestone are sidelined with injury for Spurs, while Niko Kranjcar and Danny Rose are also ruled out.
Last placed Wigan Athletic will be looking to end a miserable run of form when they travel to face fellow strugglers Sunderland on Saturday.
Wigan are currently five points adrift of safety after a nine game winless run, while Sunderland are two points above the drop zone after winning one of their last seven games.
Striker Fraizer Campbell remains sidelined with a knee injury for the Black Cats, while Kieran Richardson is expected to play.
Defender Antolin Alcaraz is suspended for Wigan, while James McCarthy and Franco Di Santo will receive late fitness tests.
Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers will face off in a battle of newly promoted teams at Carrow Road on Saturday.
QPR currently sit ninth in the Premier League table after winning 3-2 at Stoke City last weekend, while Norwich are two points further back after losing 2-1 to Arsenal last time out.
Zak Whitbread and Daniel Ayala are sidelined with injury for Norwich, while Ritchie De Laet and Russell Martin are also ruled out.
Luke Young and Danny Gabbidon look set to miss out with injury for QPR, while captain Joey Barton is suspended.
QPR manager Neil Warnock will be hoping that Heidar Helguson can shake off an eye injury in time to play, the in-form striker has scored five goals in his last five Premier League games.
Manchester United will be hoping to close the gap on league leading Manchester City with a win over fourth placed Newcastle United on Saturday.
A win for the Red Devils will see them move to within two points of the league lead, with City traveling to face Liverpool on Sunday.
Manchester United have won their last three Premier League games by a 1-0 score line, and a similar result will be welcomed by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Leading goal scorer Wayne Rooney will return for the Red Devils, after missing the midweek 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw with Benfica. Brazilian midfielder Anderson is ruled out with a knee injury that will see him sidelined for several months.
Cheick Tiote and Leon Best are expected to return from injury in time to play for Newcastle, while French midfielder Gabriel Obertan should be fit to face his former club.
Obertan has this week expressed his desire to play well and help his new teammates achieve a positive result at Old Trafford.
“Whenever you leave a club, when you go back you want to prove you are a better player,” Obertan told BBC Sport. “I’ll try to do it, but before that I want the three points.”
Fellow Frenchman Sylvain Marveaux will not play, and is expected to miss around four months with hip and groin injuries.
Bolton Wanderers will be looking for a win to help them escape the relegation zone on Saturday when they play host to Everton.
Bolton currently occupy the bottom three after losing at West Bromwich Albion last weekend, while Everton are four points further ahead and beat Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out.
Defensive pair Joe Riley and Ricardo Gardner are sidelined with injury for Bolton, while striker David Ngog is also ruled out. Dedryck Boyata is struggling with an ankle injury and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Defender Sylvain Distin is sidelined with injury for Everton, while David Moyes is sweating on the fitness of Jack Rodwell and Phil Neville.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas will be hoping to ease the pressure on him with a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
There is growing speculation about Villas-Boas’ future at Stamford Bridge under the guidance of trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich.
Chelsea currently sit in fifth place after winning only one of their last four Premier League matches, the Blues also fell to a 2-1 UEFA Champions League defeat at Bayer Leverkusen in midweek.
Wolves have won only one of their last 10 league fixtures, and currently sit two points above the relegation zone.
Michael Essien remains sidelined for Chelsea, while Ashley Cole will return after missing the Leverkusen loss with injury.
Ronald Zubar is expected to return from a long-term injury for Wolves, while midfield duo Jamie O’Hara and Stephen Hunt are suspended.
Richard Stearman is miss out with a broken wrist for Wolves, and Mick McCarthy said this week that the defender’s rehabilitation is on course. “If it is something he can play with, it wil be sooner rather than later when he returns,” McCarthy told BBC Sport.
Resurgent Arsenal will be looking to continue their red-hot form as they play host to London rivals Fulham.
Arsenal have climbed up to seventh after winning their last five Premier League games, while Fulham are two points above the relegation zone after winning one of their last five contests.
Abou Diaby could play his first league game of the season for the Gunners after a long injury layoff, while Tomas Rosicky could also return after missing the midweek UEFA Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Robin van Persie will lead the Gunners attack, and the on-fire Dutch striker has scored 44 goals in his last 50 games for club and country.
Irish winger Damien Duff is sidelined with a calf injury for Fulham, while Stephen Kelly will miss out due to a thigh problem. John Arne Riise will return after missing last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland due to his wife giving birth.
Swansea City can climb into the top half of the Premier League table with a win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Swansea are currently four points above the relegation zone after losing 1-0 last weekend to Manchester United, while Villa are two points further ahead and lost 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur last time out.
Defender Steven Caulker is ruled out for Swansea, while midfielder Joe Allen is expected to return from a calf injury.
Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers will be looking forward to locking horns with his friend and Villa counterpart Alex McLeish. Rodgers this week praised McLeish for supporting him after he suffered his first sacking back in 2009. “I have a lot of respect for Alex McLeish,” Rodgers told BBC Sport.
On-loan midfielder Jermaine Jenas will return for Villa after sitting out against his parent club Tottenham Hotspur. Stiliyan Petrov and Chris Herd are also both in contention to return for Villa.
League leading Manchester City will travel to face in-form Liverpool in a high profile Premier League clash on Sunday.
City currently hold a four point lead at the top of the table after winning their last seven league games on the bounce. Liverpool have climbed up to seventh after a seven game unbeaten run.
Both teams will have to work hard for what they get in this game, as it will be a meeting of the two best defensive sides in the Premier League. Both these teams have conceded only 11 goals so far this season, and both teams have kept four clean sheets this term.
Captain Steven Gerrard remains sidelined with injury for Liverpool, while Jamie Carragher and Stewart Downing are fighting for a return to the starting lineup.
Striker Mario Balotelli has recovered from illness for City, and will be fighting it out with Sergio Aguero and leading goal scorer Edin Dzeko for a place in the attack.
Both teams will have to work hard for what they get in this game, as it will be a meeting of the two best defensive sides in the Premier League. Both these teams have conceded only 11 goals so far this season, and both teams have kept four clean sheets this term.
Swansea City can climb into the top half of the Premier League table with a win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Swansea are currently four points above the relegation zone after losing 1-0 last weekend to Manchester United, while Villa are two points further ahead and lost 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur last time out.
Stoke City will play host to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday with both teams looking to end poor runs of form.
Stoke are currently three points clear of the relegation zone having lost their last four Premier League games. Blackburn are currently entrenched in the bottom three and are enduring a seven game winless run.
Defender Jonathan Woodgate is expected to return to fitness for Stoke, while Matthew Etherington, Rory Delap and Peter Crouch are injury doubts.
Chris Samba, Martin Olsson and Ryan Nelsen are ruled out with injury for Rovers, while David Dunn is suspended.
Under pressure Rovers boss Steve Kean is set to endure another difficult day, with traveling Blackburn fans planning yet another protest against his management of the team.
Third placed Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to continue their good form when they travel to face mid-table West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
Tottenham are nine points behind league leading Manchester City after a nine game unbeaten run, while West Brom are five points above the drop zone after beating Bolton Wanderers 2-1 last time out.
Paul Scharner is expected to play for West Brom, while strike pair Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie are injury doubts for the Baggies.
Baggies boss Roy Hodgson claimed last week that Odemwingie’s injury was “difficult to work out,” prompting the striker to respond by posting a photograph of his inflamed knee on Twitter.
Strike pair Jermain Defoe and Rafael van der Vaart are injury doubts for Tottenham, meaning Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko could make his first Premier League start of the season.
Michael Dawson and Tom Huddlestone are sidelined with injury for Spurs, while Niko Kranjcar and Danny Rose are also ruled out.
Last placed Wigan Athletic will be looking to end a miserable run of form when they travel to face fellow strugglers Sunderland on Saturday.
Wigan are currently five points adrift of safety after a nine game winless run, while Sunderland are two points above the drop zone after winning one of their last seven games.
Striker Fraizer Campbell remains sidelined with a knee injury for the Black Cats, while Kieran Richardson is expected to play.
Defender Antolin Alcaraz is suspended for Wigan, while James McCarthy and Franco Di Santo will receive late fitness tests.
Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers will face off in a battle of newly promoted teams at Carrow Road on Saturday.
QPR currently sit ninth in the Premier League table after winning 3-2 at Stoke City last weekend, while Norwich are two points further back after losing 2-1 to Arsenal last time out.
Zak Whitbread and Daniel Ayala are sidelined with injury for Norwich, while Ritchie De Laet and Russell Martin are also ruled out.
Luke Young and Danny Gabbidon look set to miss out with injury for QPR, while captain Joey Barton is suspended.
QPR manager Neil Warnock will be hoping that Heidar Helguson can shake off an eye injury in time to play, the in-form striker has scored five goals in his last five Premier League games.
Manchester United will be hoping to close the gap on league leading Manchester City with a win over fourth placed Newcastle United on Saturday.
A win for the Red Devils will see them move to within two points of the league lead, with City traveling to face Liverpool on Sunday.
Manchester United have won their last three Premier League games by a 1-0 score line, and a similar result will be welcomed by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Leading goal scorer Wayne Rooney will return for the Red Devils, after missing the midweek 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw with Benfica. Brazilian midfielder Anderson is ruled out with a knee injury that will see him sidelined for several months.
Cheick Tiote and Leon Best are expected to return from injury in time to play for Newcastle, while French midfielder Gabriel Obertan should be fit to face his former club.
Obertan has this week expressed his desire to play well and help his new teammates achieve a positive result at Old Trafford.
“Whenever you leave a club, when you go back you want to prove you are a better player,” Obertan told BBC Sport. “I’ll try to do it, but before that I want the three points.”
Fellow Frenchman Sylvain Marveaux will not play, and is expected to miss around four months with hip and groin injuries.
Bolton Wanderers will be looking for a win to help them escape the relegation zone on Saturday when they play host to Everton.
Bolton currently occupy the bottom three after losing at West Bromwich Albion last weekend, while Everton are four points further ahead and beat Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out.
Defensive pair Joe Riley and Ricardo Gardner are sidelined with injury for Bolton, while striker David Ngog is also ruled out. Dedryck Boyata is struggling with an ankle injury and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Defender Sylvain Distin is sidelined with injury for Everton, while David Moyes is sweating on the fitness of Jack Rodwell and Phil Neville.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas will be hoping to ease the pressure on him with a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
There is growing speculation about Villas-Boas’ future at Stamford Bridge under the guidance of trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich.
Chelsea currently sit in fifth place after winning only one of their last four Premier League matches, the Blues also fell to a 2-1 UEFA Champions League defeat at Bayer Leverkusen in midweek.
Wolves have won only one of their last 10 league fixtures, and currently sit two points above the relegation zone.
Michael Essien remains sidelined for Chelsea, while Ashley Cole will return after missing the Leverkusen loss with injury.
Ronald Zubar is expected to return from a long-term injury for Wolves, while midfield duo Jamie O’Hara and Stephen Hunt are suspended.
Richard Stearman is miss out with a broken wrist for Wolves, and Mick McCarthy said this week that the defender’s rehabilitation is on course. “If it is something he can play with, it wil be sooner rather than later when he returns,” McCarthy told BBC Sport.
Resurgent Arsenal will be looking to continue their red-hot form as they play host to London rivals Fulham.
Arsenal have climbed up to seventh after winning their last five Premier League games, while Fulham are two points above the relegation zone after winning one of their last five contests.
Abou Diaby could play his first league game of the season for the Gunners after a long injury layoff, while Tomas Rosicky could also return after missing the midweek UEFA Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Robin van Persie will lead the Gunners attack, and the on-fire Dutch striker has scored 44 goals in his last 50 games for club and country.
Irish winger Damien Duff is sidelined with a calf injury for Fulham, while Stephen Kelly will miss out due to a thigh problem. John Arne Riise will return after missing last weekend’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland due to his wife giving birth.
Swansea City can climb into the top half of the Premier League table with a win over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Swansea are currently four points above the relegation zone after losing 1-0 last weekend to Manchester United, while Villa are two points further ahead and lost 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur last time out.
Defender Steven Caulker is ruled out for Swansea, while midfielder Joe Allen is expected to return from a calf injury.
Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers will be looking forward to locking horns with his friend and Villa counterpart Alex McLeish. Rodgers this week praised McLeish for supporting him after he suffered his first sacking back in 2009. “I have a lot of respect for Alex McLeish,” Rodgers told BBC Sport.
On-loan midfielder Jermaine Jenas will return for Villa after sitting out against his parent club Tottenham Hotspur. Stiliyan Petrov and Chris Herd are also both in contention to return for Villa.
League leading Manchester City will travel to face in-form Liverpool in a high profile Premier League clash on Sunday.
City currently hold a four point lead at the top of the table after winning their last seven league games on the bounce. Liverpool have climbed up to seventh after a seven game unbeaten run.
Both teams will have to work hard for what they get in this game, as it will be a meeting of the two best defensive sides in the Premier League. Both these teams have conceded only 11 goals so far this season, and both teams have kept four clean sheets this term.
Captain Steven Gerrard remains sidelined with injury for Liverpool, while Jamie Carragher and Stewart Downing are fighting for a return to the starting lineup.
Striker Mario Balotelli has recovered from illness for City, and will be fighting it out with Sergio Aguero and leading goal scorer Edin Dzeko for a place in the attack.
