Manchester City will be looking to open up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a win at Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
City currently sit top of the Premier League, but are above second placed Manchester United on goal difference alone having played a game less. United slipped up on New Year’s Eve when they were beaten 3-2 at Old Trafford by relegation strugglers Blackburn Rovers.
Sunderland are three points clear of the relegation zone and will be looking to make this their third game without tasting defeat.
In the other game of the day, West Bromwich Albion will play host to Everton with both teams knowing a win will lift them into the top half of the table.
West Brom currently sit in 11th place in the Premier League, while Everton are one place and one point behind them. Both teams will enter this game in good form, and will be looking to extend a three game unbeaten run.
Liverpool and Newcastle United will go head to head at Anfield on Friday with both teams knowing a win will boost their chances of European qualification.
Sixth placed Liverpool are currently three points behind the UEFA Champions League qualifying spots, while Newcastle are one place and one point behind them.
Liverpool will be eager to collect three points after being held to a draw in their last two matches by relegations strugglers Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers. Newcastle will be looking to follow up on their 2-0 win at Bolton Wanderers last time out.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will continue on his road to fitness, and is likely to be on the bench for the Reds. Controversial striker Luis Suarez will be suspended after this week accepting a charge of improper conduct for making an abusive hand gesture to Fulham fans.
Davide Santon (injury) and Dan Gosling (suspension) look set to return for Newcastle, while striker Demba Ba is expected to shake off a hamstring injury in time to play. Senegal international forward Ba is in a phenomenal run of form, and has netted 14 goals in his last 13 Premier League games.
Manchester United can finish 2011 on top of the Premier League table with a win or draw when they play host to Blackburn Rovers.
United are behind league leading Manchester City on goal difference alone, and have won their last five games by a combined score of 17-1.
Blackburn showed spirit to grab a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Boxing Day, but remain bottom of the table five points adrift of safety.
United have personnel issues in defense, with center backs Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling ruled out. Rio Ferdinand and Phil Jones are injury doubts for the Red Devils and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Rovers manager Steve Kean has a lengthy list of injury doubts that is headlined by David Dunn, Junior Hoilett and Martin Olsson.
Kean is under great pressure from the Blackburn fans as the club battles against relegation. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson offered the struggling Blackburn boss support with a personal phone call this week, and the gesture was much appreciated.
“What was said I would rather keep private but it was very encouraging,” Kean told BBC Sport.
While his words in private were encouraging, when these two teams go head to head at Old Trafford, Ferguson will be hoping his team pile more pressure on struggling Rovers and end 2011 at the Premier League summit.
Norwich City and Fulham will go head to head at Carrow Road, with both teams knowing a win will lift them into the top half of the table.
Norwich have slipped to 11th in the Premier League table after a three game winless streak, while Fulham are two points further back after drawing 1-1 at Chelsea last time out.
Defender Kyle Naughton is expected to return to the starting lineup for Norwich, while Marc Tierney is struggling with a groin strain.
Winger Damien Duff is sidelined with injury for Fulham, while strike pair Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora are also ruled out.
Attacking midfielder Clint Dempsey will be a key figure for Fulham, and the USA international has scored four goals in the club’s last six games in all competitions.
Wigan Athletic will be looking for a win to help them escape the relegation zone when they travel to face Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
Wigan currently occupy the relegation zone, and are two points adrift of safety after losing 5-0 at Manchester United last week. Eighth placed Stoke will be looking to avoid playing their third straight game without picking up a win.
Peter Crouch, Robert Huth and Glenn Whelan are injury doubts for Stoke and will all be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez will be able to call upon the services of striker Connor Sammon. Irish striker Sammon had been sent off during the Manchester United defeat, but the red card was rescinded upon appeal.
Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to continue their excellent form as they travel to face Swansea City in Wales.
Third placed Tottenham have lost only one of their last 15 games, while Swansea are five points clear of the drop zone after a three game winless streak.
Spanish defender Angel Rangel is ruled out with injury for Swansea, while on-loan fullback Steven Caulker is ineligible to face his parent club.
Star midfielder Joe Allen will be a key figure for Swansea, and this week was praised by his manager. Brendan Rodgers described Allen as one of the “very best players at this level” when talking to BBC Sport.
Defensive pair Ledley King and Michael Dawson are sidelined with injury for Tottenham, while winger Aaron Lennon is also ruled out.
Spurs winger Gareth Bale will be playing his first Premier League game in his native Wales, and the speedy playmaker is in good form after scoring both goals in the 2-0 win at Norwich City last time out.
Bolton Wanderers and Wolverhampton Wanderers will go head to head in a crucial relegation battle at the Reebok Stadium.
Bolton currently occupy the relegation zone, and are four points adrift of safety after winning one of their last seven games. Wolves sit two points clear of the drop zone after drawing their last two games.
Midfielder Darren Pratley is ruled out with illness for Bolton, while Sam Ricketts, Joe Riley and Gretar Steinsson are all expected to return to fitness.
It is unknown whether Bolton manager Owen Coyle will select star defender Gary Cahill, after the club agreed a fee to sell the defender to Chelsea in the coming transfer window.
Wolves midfielder Nenad Milijas is suspended after being sent off in the 1-1 draw at Arsenal last time out. Ronald Zubar is an injury doubt for Wolves and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Arsenal will play host to London rivals Queens Park Rangers with the two teams in very different form.
Sixth placed Arsenal have lost only one of their last 11 games, while QPR are struggling at the other end of the table. The Hoops currently sit three points above the relegation zone after a six game winless streak.
Dutch striker Robin van Persie will lead the Arsenal attack, and is two goals shy of Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League record of 36 goals in a calendar year.
Van Persie could be joined in the Arsenal attack by Theo Walcott, who has recovered from illness. Thierry Henry is on the brink of an emotional return to Arsenal, but will not sign in time to play this game.
Winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has recovered from injury and will play for QPR, while Moroccan playmaker Adel Taarabt will continue in the starting lineup.
Chelsea will be looking to consolidate their position in the top four with a win when they play host to Aston Villa.
Chelsea currently sit fourth in the Premier League table after drawing their last three games 1-1. Villa have fallen to 12th in the standings, and will be looking to end a three game winless streak.
Defensive duo Branislav Ivanovic and captain John Terry will return from injury for Chelsea, while midfielder Ramires is back from suspension.
Terry and Brazilian center back David Luiz will likely be motivated for this game, as Gary Cahill will soon arrive from Bolton Wanderers to compete for their place in the starting lineup.
Daniel Sturridge will lead the Chelsea attack, and the in-form English striker has netted five goals in his last seven Premier League games.
Striker Emile Heskey is ruled out for Villa, while Darren Bent and James Collins are injury doubts. Defender Alan Hutton will be available for the Villains after completing his suspension.
West Bromwich Albion will play host to Everton on New Year’s Day with both teams knowing a win will lift them into the top half of the table.
West Brom currently sit in 11th place in the Premier League, while Everton are one place and one point behind them. Both teams will enter this game in good form, and will be looking to extend a three game unbeaten run.
Steven Reid is expected to miss out for West Brom, while midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu is an injury doubt and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Ben Foster is expected to continue on goal for West Brom, and will be looking to follow on from the clean sheet he kept against league leading Manchester City last time out.
Midfield pair Maroune Fellaini and Jack Rodwell are expected to miss out with injury for Everton, while loan signing Landon Donovan is not yet eligible to play.
Manchester City will be looking to open up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a win at Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
City currently sit top of the Premier League, but are above second placed Manchester United on goal difference alone having played a game less. United slipped up on New Year’s Eve when they were beaten 3-2 at Old Trafford by relegation strugglers Blackburn Rovers.
Sunderland are three points clear of the relegation zone and will be looking to make this their third game without tasting defeat.
Defensive duo Titus Bramble and Phil Bardsley are injury doubts for Sunderland, while Kieran Richardson will also be assessed ahead of kickoff.
The City defense will be boosted by the return from injury of Micah Richards and Aleksandar Kolarov.
Edin Dzeko was on the bench for the 0-0 Boxing Day draw against West Brom, and could be reinstated to the City attack here. The powerful Bosnian forward has netted 10 Premier League goals so far this season.
Sunderland are three points clear of the relegation zone and will be looking to make this their third game without tasting defeat.
In the other game of the day, West Bromwich Albion will play host to Everton with both teams knowing a win will lift them into the top half of the table.
West Brom currently sit in 11th place in the Premier League, while Everton are one place and one point behind them. Both teams will enter this game in good form, and will be looking to extend a three game unbeaten run.
Liverpool and Newcastle United will go head to head at Anfield on Friday with both teams knowing a win will boost their chances of European qualification.
Sixth placed Liverpool are currently three points behind the UEFA Champions League qualifying spots, while Newcastle are one place and one point behind them.
Liverpool will be eager to collect three points after being held to a draw in their last two matches by relegations strugglers Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers. Newcastle will be looking to follow up on their 2-0 win at Bolton Wanderers last time out.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will continue on his road to fitness, and is likely to be on the bench for the Reds. Controversial striker Luis Suarez will be suspended after this week accepting a charge of improper conduct for making an abusive hand gesture to Fulham fans.
Davide Santon (injury) and Dan Gosling (suspension) look set to return for Newcastle, while striker Demba Ba is expected to shake off a hamstring injury in time to play. Senegal international forward Ba is in a phenomenal run of form, and has netted 14 goals in his last 13 Premier League games.
Manchester United can finish 2011 on top of the Premier League table with a win or draw when they play host to Blackburn Rovers.
United are behind league leading Manchester City on goal difference alone, and have won their last five games by a combined score of 17-1.
Blackburn showed spirit to grab a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Boxing Day, but remain bottom of the table five points adrift of safety.
United have personnel issues in defense, with center backs Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling ruled out. Rio Ferdinand and Phil Jones are injury doubts for the Red Devils and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Rovers manager Steve Kean has a lengthy list of injury doubts that is headlined by David Dunn, Junior Hoilett and Martin Olsson.
Kean is under great pressure from the Blackburn fans as the club battles against relegation. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson offered the struggling Blackburn boss support with a personal phone call this week, and the gesture was much appreciated.
“What was said I would rather keep private but it was very encouraging,” Kean told BBC Sport.
While his words in private were encouraging, when these two teams go head to head at Old Trafford, Ferguson will be hoping his team pile more pressure on struggling Rovers and end 2011 at the Premier League summit.
Norwich City and Fulham will go head to head at Carrow Road, with both teams knowing a win will lift them into the top half of the table.
Norwich have slipped to 11th in the Premier League table after a three game winless streak, while Fulham are two points further back after drawing 1-1 at Chelsea last time out.
Defender Kyle Naughton is expected to return to the starting lineup for Norwich, while Marc Tierney is struggling with a groin strain.
Winger Damien Duff is sidelined with injury for Fulham, while strike pair Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora are also ruled out.
Attacking midfielder Clint Dempsey will be a key figure for Fulham, and the USA international has scored four goals in the club’s last six games in all competitions.
Wigan Athletic will be looking for a win to help them escape the relegation zone when they travel to face Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
Wigan currently occupy the relegation zone, and are two points adrift of safety after losing 5-0 at Manchester United last week. Eighth placed Stoke will be looking to avoid playing their third straight game without picking up a win.
Peter Crouch, Robert Huth and Glenn Whelan are injury doubts for Stoke and will all be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez will be able to call upon the services of striker Connor Sammon. Irish striker Sammon had been sent off during the Manchester United defeat, but the red card was rescinded upon appeal.
Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to continue their excellent form as they travel to face Swansea City in Wales.
Third placed Tottenham have lost only one of their last 15 games, while Swansea are five points clear of the drop zone after a three game winless streak.
Spanish defender Angel Rangel is ruled out with injury for Swansea, while on-loan fullback Steven Caulker is ineligible to face his parent club.
Star midfielder Joe Allen will be a key figure for Swansea, and this week was praised by his manager. Brendan Rodgers described Allen as one of the “very best players at this level” when talking to BBC Sport.
Defensive pair Ledley King and Michael Dawson are sidelined with injury for Tottenham, while winger Aaron Lennon is also ruled out.
Spurs winger Gareth Bale will be playing his first Premier League game in his native Wales, and the speedy playmaker is in good form after scoring both goals in the 2-0 win at Norwich City last time out.
Bolton Wanderers and Wolverhampton Wanderers will go head to head in a crucial relegation battle at the Reebok Stadium.
Bolton currently occupy the relegation zone, and are four points adrift of safety after winning one of their last seven games. Wolves sit two points clear of the drop zone after drawing their last two games.
Midfielder Darren Pratley is ruled out with illness for Bolton, while Sam Ricketts, Joe Riley and Gretar Steinsson are all expected to return to fitness.
It is unknown whether Bolton manager Owen Coyle will select star defender Gary Cahill, after the club agreed a fee to sell the defender to Chelsea in the coming transfer window.
Wolves midfielder Nenad Milijas is suspended after being sent off in the 1-1 draw at Arsenal last time out. Ronald Zubar is an injury doubt for Wolves and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Arsenal will play host to London rivals Queens Park Rangers with the two teams in very different form.
Sixth placed Arsenal have lost only one of their last 11 games, while QPR are struggling at the other end of the table. The Hoops currently sit three points above the relegation zone after a six game winless streak.
Dutch striker Robin van Persie will lead the Arsenal attack, and is two goals shy of Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League record of 36 goals in a calendar year.
Van Persie could be joined in the Arsenal attack by Theo Walcott, who has recovered from illness. Thierry Henry is on the brink of an emotional return to Arsenal, but will not sign in time to play this game.
Winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has recovered from injury and will play for QPR, while Moroccan playmaker Adel Taarabt will continue in the starting lineup.
Chelsea will be looking to consolidate their position in the top four with a win when they play host to Aston Villa.
Chelsea currently sit fourth in the Premier League table after drawing their last three games 1-1. Villa have fallen to 12th in the standings, and will be looking to end a three game winless streak.
Defensive duo Branislav Ivanovic and captain John Terry will return from injury for Chelsea, while midfielder Ramires is back from suspension.
Terry and Brazilian center back David Luiz will likely be motivated for this game, as Gary Cahill will soon arrive from Bolton Wanderers to compete for their place in the starting lineup.
Daniel Sturridge will lead the Chelsea attack, and the in-form English striker has netted five goals in his last seven Premier League games.
Striker Emile Heskey is ruled out for Villa, while Darren Bent and James Collins are injury doubts. Defender Alan Hutton will be available for the Villains after completing his suspension.
West Bromwich Albion will play host to Everton on New Year’s Day with both teams knowing a win will lift them into the top half of the table.
West Brom currently sit in 11th place in the Premier League, while Everton are one place and one point behind them. Both teams will enter this game in good form, and will be looking to extend a three game unbeaten run.
Steven Reid is expected to miss out for West Brom, while midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu is an injury doubt and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Ben Foster is expected to continue on goal for West Brom, and will be looking to follow on from the clean sheet he kept against league leading Manchester City last time out.
Midfield pair Maroune Fellaini and Jack Rodwell are expected to miss out with injury for Everton, while loan signing Landon Donovan is not yet eligible to play.
Manchester City will be looking to open up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a win at Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
City currently sit top of the Premier League, but are above second placed Manchester United on goal difference alone having played a game less. United slipped up on New Year’s Eve when they were beaten 3-2 at Old Trafford by relegation strugglers Blackburn Rovers.
Sunderland are three points clear of the relegation zone and will be looking to make this their third game without tasting defeat.
Defensive duo Titus Bramble and Phil Bardsley are injury doubts for Sunderland, while Kieran Richardson will also be assessed ahead of kickoff.
The City defense will be boosted by the return from injury of Micah Richards and Aleksandar Kolarov.
Edin Dzeko was on the bench for the 0-0 Boxing Day draw against West Brom, and could be reinstated to the City attack here. The powerful Bosnian forward has netted 10 Premier League goals so far this season.
